Few facts of Diabetes Mellitus-Type 1

Diabetes mellitus is a disorder with biochemical and anatomical consequences. This disease occurs as a result of deficiency of insulin. There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. In the type 1 diabetes, there is no production of insulin due to destruction of beta cells of the pancreas by the immune system of the body. This disease is more prevalent in juveniles but also occur later in life, when people are in their late 30s and early 40s. Diabetes mellitus is a common disorder and is known as the silent killer as it can prove to be fatal, if not controlled.  Salient features of diabetes mellitus

• It is a catabolic (metabolic break down of complex compounds into simpler ones) disorder. Some of the marked chemical characters of this of disease are
• Absence or low level of insulin
• Increase level of plasma glucagons
• No response of pancreatic beta cells towards insulin.
• Patients are dependent on external doses of insulin to control the glucose level in the body (hyperglucagonemia), to ensure there is metabolism of lipids and proteins and to prevent ketosis.
• It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune cells of the body attack the beta cells of the pancreas and destroy them leading to deficiency of insulin in the body.

Facts about diabetes

• In the United States alone 5 -15 % of cases of this disease are of the type 1. As stated above, it is more common in children than adults. Every year there are 15 cases per 100,000 children (those below 18 years). There are more than 1 million people suffering from diabetes in United States alone with more than 10,000 new cases every year.
• The highest numbers of diabetes type 1 cases are found in Scandinavia where almost 20 % of the total diabetic cases are type 1 diabetes mellitus.
• Japan and China have the lowest rates with less that 1 % of diabetes patients suffering from diabetes mellitus type 1.
• US health expenditures every year has to shell out more than $100 billion only for diabetes.
• Diabetes is a multisystem disease due to which the patient can develop a number of complications such as ischemic heart disease, renal disorders, visual defects, blindness, gangrene and autonomic and peripheral neuropathy.
• This form of diabetes is more commonly observed in non-Hispanic whites. Comparing to all other races, Asians are less affected by this disease.
• Sex: The occurrence of this disease is more in men than women.
• Age: Diabetes mellitus type 1 is also known as Juvenile diabetes as it affects more children than adults. Among children, it is more common in early adolescence, between the ages 11 ‘ 13 years. However it can also occur in adults, between the age of 30 and 40.
• Diabetes mellitus type 1 has a genetic onset where a person with a history of this disease in the family is more likely to suffer from it than people who don’t have a genetic link.