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Type 1 Diabetes
At least 3 million Americans
are diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, an autoimmune disease, in which the pancreas no longer has the ability to produce a hormone, defined as insulin. The immune system attacks its insulin producing beta cells, leaving the diabetic to rely on synthetic insulin through injections or via the insulin pump. Once a person acquires diabetes, it will stay with them for their entire life, unless a cure is found.
Type 1 Diabetes Affects
Type 1 Diabetes can affect any person at any point during their lifetime. Diabetes is a genetic disease, thus it is difficult to know when it is likely to occur within someone's body.
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WHAT IS TYPE 1 DIABETES?
How Type 1 Diabetes Is Managed
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Living with Type 1 Diabetes is difficult. The diabetic needs to check their blood sugar via a finger prick at least six times a day. Since their pancreas no longer produces insulin, they are required to give synthetic insulin via an insulin pump or injections. Although Type 1 Diabetics substitute sythetic insulin for their body's own insulin, that by no means would ever replace the human pancreas. The diabetic is subject to blood sugar fluctuations throughout the day and night. They need to manage and stay as consistent as they can with checking their blood sugar and eating balanced meals. Diabetics can live the same, healthy lives as any other person if they control their blood sugar ranges.
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Alarming Consequences of Mismanagement of Type 1 Diabetes
If Type 1 Diabetes is not properly managed, it can lead to the following complications:
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kidney failure
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blindness
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nerve damage
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heart attack
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stroke
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pregnancy complications
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Warning Signs of Type 1 Diabetes
Tell your physician immediately if you experience the following:
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Extreme thirst
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Frequency Urination
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Drowsiness or lethargy
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Increased appetite
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Sudden weight loss
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Sudden vision changes
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Sugar in the urine
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Fruity odor on the breath
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Heavy or labored breathing
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Unconsciousness (Citation 5)
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This graph shows the alarming growing incidence rates of Type 1 Diabetes. In the United States, specifically the state of Colorado, diabetes has doubled within the past 25 years.
Technological innovations in Type 1 Diabetes care are devices such as the insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Over the years, pumps have improved to communicate with the CGM, so that there is direct reading of blood sugar on the pump. This enables the diabetic to manage blood sugars more efficiently, without having to test their blood sugars as frequently.
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Promises of the Stem Cell Patch
Stem cells have been showing much promise for the future, in that they have the ability to regenerate cells that have ceased to function correctly or ceased to function at all. The stem cell patch is an innovation to stem cell research.
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A Type 1 Diabetic need to check their blood sugar at least five times a day, and give insulin through insulin injections or via an insulin pump. This tedious task is not simply something that they do once or twice a week, it is for the rest of their life. Improvements upon diabetic technologies have lessened finger pricks and sustained better control, but have not completetly obliterated testing and injections. The stem cell patch will allow the pancreas to regenerate islet cells for insulin production, allowing the diabetic to no longer need daily injections of insulin and constant maintanence of blood sugar through pricking their fingers or arms. (Citation 1)