About T1D

About T1D

Type 1 Diabetes Facts

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that occurs when a person's pancreas stops producing insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. T1D seems to have a genetic component and can be diagnosed early in life, but also in adulthood. Its causes are not fully known, and currently, there is no cure. People with T1D are dependent on injected or pumped insulin to survive. Managing the disease is a constant struggle that involves monitoring blood sugar levels, administering insulin, and carefully balancing these insulin doses with eating and activity. Even with a strict regimen, people with T1D may still experience dangerously high or low blood glucose levels that can, in extreme cases, be life threatening.

Statistics

  • Some 1.45 million Americans are living with T1D.
  • 64,000 people are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
  • 2.1 million people in the U.S. are expected to have T1D by 2040.
  • Between 2001 and 2009, there was a 21 percent increase in the prevalence of T1D in people under age 20.
  • In the U.S., there are $16 billion in T1D-associated healthcare expenditures and lost income annually.
  • Less than one-third of people with T1D in the U.S. are consistently achieving target blood-glucose control levels.

Learn more at jdrf.org/about/what-is-t1d.

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