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How do they determine where you have type 1 or type 2?
- Thread starter ScrewRM
- Start date
- Status
SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
It is quite common for adults that are T1 to be misdiagnosed as T2, because many GPs still assume that if you are over 40 it must be T2. However T1 can develop at any age.
There are blood tests that can be done to confirm if it is T1, as they look for evidence of GAD Antibodies, and also a c-peptide test. These will pick up T1 whichis an autoimmune disease, where the body destroys the beta cells which make the insulin. Once enough of the beta cells have gone the body goes into crisis, and a person will become ill very quickly. The symptoms on the way are excessive thirst, feeling very tired, going to the toilet a lot, and losing weight. It is treated by injecting insulin, as the body is no longer making it.
T2 is a completely different illness, where the body is still making insulin, but it is either not enough for the amount of glucose in the blood, or the insulin does not work very well. Insulin is essential to enable to glucose to enter the muscles of the body, and some control this by reducing the amount of glucose in the blood, by eating less carbs, as well as increasing the amount of glucose used up by being more active. Others take meds to help their pancreas make more insulin, or to make the insulin that they make work better.
In the early stages of T1, when it develops in an adult, there may be enough beta cells still working so that meds will work for them, and this can confuse the issues as these people appear to respond to the T2 meds. Howeveras the cells continue to be destroyed, they eventually need to inject insulin.
Enough waffle. I hope that all makes sense.
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