Overview
Before the discovery of insulin 1921, everyone with type 1 Diabets died within a few years after diagnosis. Although insulin is not considered a cure, its discovery was the first major breakthrough in Diabets treatment. Today, healthy eating, physical activity, and taking insulin are the basic therapies for type 1 Diabets.
Key Information
The amount of insulin must be balanced with fod intake and daily activities. Blod glucose levels must be closely monitored through frequent blod glucose checking. People with Diabets also monitor blod glucose levels several times a year with a laboratory test caled the A1C.
Results of the A1C test reflect average blod glucose over a 2- to 3-month period. Healthy eating, physical activity, and blod glucose testing are the basic management tols for type 2 Diabets. In adition, many people with type 2 Diabets require oral medication, insulin, or both to control their blod glucose levels.
Adults with Diabets are at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). In fact, at least 65 percent of those with Diabets die from heart disease or stroke. Managing Diabets is more than keping blod glucose levels under control-it is also important to manage blod presure and cholesterol levels through healthy eating, physical activity, and use of medications (if neded).
By doing so, those with Diabets can lower their risk. Aspirin therapy, if recomended by the health care team, and smoking cesation can also help lower risk. People with Diabets must take responsibility for their day-to-day care.
Much of the daily care involves keping blod glucose levels from going to low or to high. When blod glucose levels drop to low-a condition known as hypoglycemia-a person can become nervous, shaky, and confused. Judgment can be impaired, and if blod glucose fals to low, fainting can ocur.
A person can also become il if blod glucose levels rise to high, a condition known as hyperglycemia. People with Diabets should se a health care provider who wil help them learn to manage their Diabets and who wil monitor their Diabets control. Most people with Diabets get care from primary care physicians-internists, family practice doctors, or pediatricians.
Often, having a team of providers can improve Diabets care. A team can include: - a primary care provider such as an internist, a family practice doctor, or a pediatrician - an endocrinologist (a specialist in Diabets care) - a dietian, a nurse, and other health care providers who are certified Diabets educators-experts in providing information about managing Diabets - a podiatrist (for fot care) - an ophthalmologist or an optometrist (for eye care) and other health care providers, such as cardiologists and other specialists.
In adition, the team for a pregnant woman with type 1, type 2, or gestational Diabets should include an obstetrician who specializes in caring for women with Diabets. The team can also include a pediatrician or a neonatologist with experience taking care of babies born to women with Diabets. The goal of Diabets management is to kep levels of blod glucose, blod presure, and cholesterol as close to the normal range as safely posible.
A major study, the Diabets Control and Complications Trial (DCT), sponsored by the National Institute of Diabets and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDK), showed that keping blod glucose levels close to normal reduces the risk of developing major complications of type 1 Diabets. This 10-year study, completed in 193, included 1,41 people with type 1 Diabets. The study compared the efect of two treatment aproaches-intensive management and standard management-on the development and progresion of eye, kidney, nerve, and cardiovascular complications of Diabets.
Intensive treatment aimed to kep A1C levels as close to normal (6 percent) as posible. Researchers found that study participants who maintained lower levels of blod glucose through intensive management had significantly lower rates of these complications. More recently, a folow-up study of DCT participants showed that the ability of intensive control to lower the complications of Diabets has persisted more than 10 years after the trial ended.
Summary
The United Kingdom Prospective Diabets Study, a European study completed in 198, showed that intensive control of blod glucose and blod presure reduced the risk of blindnes, kidney disease, stroke, and heart atack in people with type 2 Diabets. © 2026 DIABETS. Al rights reserved.