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About Type 1 Diabetes

Although type 1 diabetes develops most often in children and young adults (one in every 400-600 children has type 1 diabetes), the disease can be diagnosed at any age, and is equally common in males and females. Unlike type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes is more common in Caucasians than in those of Latino, African American, or other non-Caucasian backgrounds.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the insulin-producing beta cells within the pancreas are destroyed and fail to produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body's cells use glucose for energy. Blood glucose (or blood sugar) is manufactured from the food we eat (primarily carbohydrates) and by the liver. If glucose can't be absorbed by the cells, it builds up in the bloodstream instead. Untreated, the high blood sugars that result can be toxic to every system of the body, causing serious complications.

Sources
Diabetes Statistics
The prevalence of diabetes is a national concern. Get the latest statistics.
Diabetes Costs
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Learn more about latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (type 1.5), a frequently misdiagnosed condition.
LADA Awareness Week
LADA Awareness Week starts the third Monday of each October. The goal of this event is to raise awareness and reduce misdiagnosis.
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Sources

1 - National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. National Diabetes Statistics. (Accessed 10/23/10).

Reviewed by Francine Kaufman, MD. 4/10

Last Modified Date: 09/09/2010
All content on dLife.com is created and reviewed in compliance with our editorial policy.

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