A SIMPLE check could reveal if your child is silently living with type 1 diabetes. The condition causes people's blood sugar levels to remain too high, which can lead to severe complications if left untreated. There are two main types of the disease: type 1 , which not preventable, and type 2 , which is mainly linked to weight gain and a lack of exercise.
More that 4.4 million people in the UK live with diabetes - but only eight per cent of those are living with type 1. Type 1 diabetes appears to be rising , although experts are not quite sure why.
Even before the Covid pandemic , the rate of Type 1 in children was increasing globally, by around three per cent each year. In 2020, though, this increase substantially to 14 per cent and, in 2021, to 27 per cent. Scientists have suggested that the Covid-19 virus itself could have triggered the disease in some children.
Others have suggested that increased hygiene levels or less exposure to germs could be a cause. Some scientists believe lockdowns and physical distancing during Covid meant many children did not get enough exposure to bugs and missed this additional protection. Despite this worrying upward trend, experts have made huge strides in finding new treatments over the last few years.
This includes stem-cell transplants , which could cure the disease, an artificial pancreas to make the disease easier to manage, and repurposing old drugs, which could make better treatments. It’s hard to ignore the signs of type 1 diabetes.
