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Type I Diabetes Lifespan

Also called juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes, type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. Estimates from 2007 by the American Diabetes Association indicate that 23.6 million people in the United States have diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes represent 5 to 10 percent of all diabetics.

  1. Features

    • In a person with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little or no insulin. As a result, people with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin several times every day to make glucose (sugar) usable by their body's cells.

    History

    • Before the discovery of insulin, type 1 diabetics often died shortly after diagnosis due to diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a medical emergency that occurs when the body cannot use sugar as a fuel source and uses fat instead.

    Causes

    • While type 1 diabetes is not hereditary, genetic and environmental factors play a role in its development. In type 1 diabetes, the body's own immune system progressively destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Contrary to common myths, insulin-dependent diabetes is not a consequence of obesity or excessive sugar consumption.

    Symptoms

    • Type 1 diabetes symptoms may include one or more of the following: extreme thirst; frequent urination; sugar in urine; wine-like, fruity or sweet-smelling breath; drowsiness; lethargy; sudden vision changes; increased appetite; sudden weight loss; breathing difficulties; unconsciousness.

    Lifespan

    • Life expectancy for type 1 diabetics is hard to predict with certainty, as it depends on the age at which the disease is found and the extent to which it is controlled. However, on average, type 1 diabetes shortens a person's lifespan by 7 to 10 years.

    Risk Factors

    • People with diabetes are more likely to die from certain conditions than non-diabetics. These conditions include heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and infections. To reduce the risk, type 1 diabetics must carefully control their blood sugar, blood pressure and blood fats (cholesterol, triglycerides).

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