Type 1 Diabetes

 Did you know that over 90% of people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes don’t have a family connection? Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can strike both children and adults. A simple screening test can help families determine, before symptoms even occur, if they may be at risk. Because most people do not have a family history of type 1 diabetes, symptoms and a diagnosis often come out of the blue. And because families don’t know what to look for, many people require hospitalization at diagnosis because their blood sugars are very high and the person is very sick. If not treated properly, people with T1D are vulnerable to health issues ranging from minor to severe. Most people with T1D spend the majority of their time with blood-glucose levels outside the recommended healthy range, which can lead to potentially deadly episodes of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Chronic high blood sugar often causes devastating health complications later in life, including blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and nerve damage that can lead to amputations.