
Brittle Type 1 Diabetes OR Type 1 Diabetes – Which is it?
“Due to the increase in prevalence of type 1 diabetes, a new report projects the global type 1 diabetes costs to reach over 25 billion dollars by 2024.” Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease that effects the beta cells of the pancreas where insulin is formed. It comes on rapidly and exogenous insulin via shots or by an insulin pump is needed for survival. At this point in time, one in five health care dollars goes to diabetes. By 2050, there will be 5 million cases of type 1 diabetes in the US. There is a doubling of type 1 diabetes cases every 5 years and a noticeable increase in those in their 30s, 40s and 50s being diagnosed. At this point in time, there are no answers as to why type 1 diabetes is increasing. For many years, it was thought that type 1 brittle diabetes (BT1D) did not exist and that it was just a problem of “not really managing or paying attention to your diabetes.” According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health), “brittle diabetes is considered a rare disease that affects 4500 people in the USA.”
The NIH set up a specific website for BT1D and “acknowledged its existence in 2013.” Those with BT1D suffer from more episodes of serious blood sugar fluctuations, more hospital visits, more complications and less ability to work than people with controlled type 1 diabetes. The NIH states, “BT1D suffer from more hypoglycemia and more hyperglycemia regardless of the medical treatment.” Their quality of life is highly impacted. There is an organization called The Brittle Diabetes Foundation (BDF) which suggests to patients wit
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