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Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation And Association
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Published: March 1, 2007
Childhood illnesses are most generally associated with chickenpox or the common cold, but everyday 35 children in America are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. In fact, the risk of juvenile diabetes is higher than almost all other chronic childhood illnesses. Juvenile diabetes mellitus, more commonly known as Type 1 diabetes, is a syndrome associated with high glucose levels and a disordered metabolism.
A lack of insulin produced in the pancreas is responsible for unstable blood sugar concentrations. According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, although Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent, an estimated 1.4 million Americans suffer from juvenile diabetes.
Juvenile diabetes is specifically caused by the autoimmune destruction of B cells in the pancreas. These cells usually secrete insulin, but their inability to complete their task calls for injections to provide insulin needed for survival. Type 1 begins with the following symptoms: extreme thirst, frequent urination, increased appetite, sudden weight loss, and heavy breathing. It is crucial for the child to receive a proper diagnosis from a physician since ignoring the signs may be life-threatening. If left untreated, the disease can result in damage to blood vessels in the eye and eventual blindness, increased chance of stroke and heart attack, as well as kidney failure.
At diagnosis, the immediate goal of treatment is to manage high glucose levels within the blood. Depending on the severity of the diabetes, the patient may need to be hospitalized. Basic treatment consists of insulin injections, diet, exercise, and constant testing. Insulin shots need to be injected under the skin about 1-4 times a day based on the test results. The combined effect of diet and physical activity help to control the amount of sugar in the blood and achieve the optimal weight. Maintaining this regimen promotes a healthy, normal lifestyle unaffected by the negative components of the disease.
Can diabetes ever be cured? The first problem in curing diabetes is that the cause remains unknown. Many researchers attribute the development of juvenile diabetes to the invasion of an infectious toxin into a predisposed immune system. Once exposed to the toxin, the immune system creates an aggressive immune response against the B cells in the pancreas. Attacked by their own body, the B cells are unable to function. In the past, factors such as obesity and sugar consumption were thought to have played a role in developing juvenile diabetes, but research has since disproved any correlation. Genetics, however, may play a key role. Research shows that juvenile diabetes runs in families. Siblings of children affected with juvenile diabetes have at least a 100 times the risk of developing diabetes versus a sibling of an unaffected child.
To support families dealing with this syndrome, juvenile diabetes associations such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) have been set up. The foundation hosts various chapters throughout the country that promote awareness of juvenile diabetes, as well as fundraise to finance research. These types of juvenile diabetes associations help bring parents together and allow children to understand that others also have this syndrome. The most popular event sponsored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is the Walk to Cure Diabetes. This walk occurs multiple times in about 200 locations nationwide attracting 500,000 people annually. Locations for these walks feature entertainment and food for the entire family.
Juvenile diabetes is a crucial affecting the lives of countless children throughout the world. The emergence of juvenile associations like the JDRF aid in helping not only parents to make sense of this mysterious syndrome, but to ensure that children affected with the disease live healthy, normal lives.
Sources:
Life with Diabetes FAQs. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International. 2007. JDRF. 19 Feb. 2007 <http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=103442&g t;.
Medical Encyclopedia - Type 1 Diabetes. Medline Plus. 11 Jan. 2007. U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health. 19 Feb. 2007 <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/articl e/000305.htm >.
Related Articles
Juvenile diabetes is specifically caused by the autoimmune destruction of B cells in the pancreas. These cells usually secrete insulin, but their inability to complete their task calls for injections to provide insulin needed for survival. Type 1 begins with the following symptoms: extreme thirst, frequent urination, increased appetite, sudden weight loss, and heavy breathing. It is crucial for the child to receive a proper diagnosis from a physician since ignoring the signs may be life-threatening. If left untreated, the disease can result in damage to blood vessels in the eye and eventual blindness, increased chance of stroke and heart attack, as well as kidney failure.
At diagnosis, the immediate goal of treatment is to manage high glucose levels within the blood. Depending on the severity of the diabetes, the patient may need to be hospitalized. Basic treatment consists of insulin injections, diet, exercise, and constant testing. Insulin shots need to be injected under the skin about 1-4 times a day based on the test results. The combined effect of diet and physical activity help to control the amount of sugar in the blood and achieve the optimal weight. Maintaining this regimen promotes a healthy, normal lifestyle unaffected by the negative components of the disease.
Can diabetes ever be cured? The first problem in curing diabetes is that the cause remains unknown. Many researchers attribute the development of juvenile diabetes to the invasion of an infectious toxin into a predisposed immune system. Once exposed to the toxin, the immune system creates an aggressive immune response against the B cells in the pancreas. Attacked by their own body, the B cells are unable to function. In the past, factors such as obesity and sugar consumption were thought to have played a role in developing juvenile diabetes, but research has since disproved any correlation. Genetics, however, may play a key role. Research shows that juvenile diabetes runs in families. Siblings of children affected with juvenile diabetes have at least a 100 times the risk of developing diabetes versus a sibling of an unaffected child.
To support families dealing with this syndrome, juvenile diabetes associations such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) have been set up. The foundation hosts various chapters throughout the country that promote awareness of juvenile diabetes, as well as fundraise to finance research. These types of juvenile diabetes associations help bring parents together and allow children to understand that others also have this syndrome. The most popular event sponsored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is the Walk to Cure Diabetes. This walk occurs multiple times in about 200 locations nationwide attracting 500,000 people annually. Locations for these walks feature entertainment and food for the entire family.
Juvenile diabetes is a crucial affecting the lives of countless children throughout the world. The emergence of juvenile associations like the JDRF aid in helping not only parents to make sense of this mysterious syndrome, but to ensure that children affected with the disease live healthy, normal lives.
Sources:
Life with Diabetes FAQs. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International. 2007. JDRF. 19 Feb. 2007 <http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=103442&g t;.
Medical Encyclopedia - Type 1 Diabetes. Medline Plus. 11 Jan. 2007. U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health. 19 Feb. 2007 <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/articl e/000305.htm >.
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