“Anyone can develop type 1 diabetes,” notes McAssey. “There are genetic and environmental factors that contribute to development, and the environmental factors are not well understood. There are also many different genes that influence the likelihood of development, so it’s not one single gene. There are genes that confer susceptibility and genes that confer protection.”
Yes, it is a complex disease. But the screening is as advanced as the treatment.
“We think about the importance of screening people who have a family history of diabetes. We think about the importance of screening people who have other autoimmune diseases, because if you have one condition, you’re more likely to have another autoimmune disease. And then we think about screening for the general population.”
“There are days when the daily responsibilities and annoyances of diabetes are overwhelming. It’s always there,” admits Peggy Hawthorne, Karen’s mother, pictured here in the 1980s, using her glucometer to measure blood sugar levels. “I accepted my diabetes and just learned to live with it.”
DELIVERED
Screening for type 1 diabetes has advanced
Screening involves a blood test that measures proteins called islet autoantibodies. These are markers that confirm that your immune system is attacking and killing the insulin-producing cells you depend on.
Although the test can be performed with a conventional blood sample vial, it is now increasingly done with a capillary sample. “That means a finger prick,” she says, adding that the drop of blood produces a dried blood spot for examination. And in many cases this can be done at home or, depending on your comfort level, in the laboratory.
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