This video is part of “Innovations In: Type 1 Diabetes,” an editorially independent special report that was produced with financial support from Vertex.
Carin Leong: Type 1 diabetes is rising around the world—and no one knows why.
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So type 1 diabetes—unlike type 2—is an autoimmune disease. It happens when your immune system attacks the pancreas cells that make insulin. No insulin means your blood sugar skyrockets, and without treatment, it can be deadly.
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 hypotheses—like maternal and early-childhood diets, exposure to microbes in the environment, viral infections early in life or even gut bacteria—that 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. In poorer countries, that same 10-year-old child might live just 10 more years.
Experts say millions of lives can be saved if early diagnosis and treatment are available worldwide. Type 1 diabetes isn’t a death sentence, but where you live can make it one.