"Scientists aren't totally sure why cases are climbing. It's partly because we've gotten better at detecting type 1 diabetes early on. But that's not the whole story. Researchers have a handful of hypotheseslike maternal and early-childhood diets, exposure to microbes in the environment, viral infections early in life or even gut bacteriathat could be potential factors in triggering this autoimmune condition."
"Treatment of type 1 diabetes has come a long way, but the advancements aren't shared equally. In rich countries, a 10-year-old diagnosed with type 1 diabetes has access treatments. This can be insulin therapy, glucose monitors or even artificial pancreas technology. And they can live well into their 70s, which is not far from the life expectancy of the general population."
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks insulin-producing pancreatic cells, causing life-threatening high blood sugar without treatment. Case numbers are increasing globally, and improved detection explains only part of the rise. Potential triggers under investigation include maternal and early-childhood diets, environmental microbes, early-life viral infections, and gut bacteria. Treatment options such as insulin therapy, glucose monitors, and artificial pancreas technology can yield near-normal life expectancy in wealthy nations. In low-income countries, delayed diagnosis and limited treatment can reduce a child’s remaining life expectancy to only about a decade.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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