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Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus ( Iddm ) Essay

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Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, also known as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is destroys pancreatic beta-cells, leading to partial or total loss of insulin production (Merger, et al 170). The exact cause is not known, but the destruction is triggered as an autoimmune response which could be due to the stressors from environment and genetics (Merger, et al 170). “Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which there is no cure, nor prevention at the current time” (Merger, et al 170). Most individuals who present with type 1 diabetes do not have a known relative who had the disease, and newborn screening programs for genetic risk makers have not yet been made universal (Skyler and Camillo, 3). “Typically type 1 diabetes is diagnosed between 6 months and young adulthood, but the disease can occur at any age” (Merger, et al 173). “Neo-natal diabetes is very rare, however, the incidence of IDDM increases most between ages 0-4, (4.7% per year). An incidence of 31 to 100,000 occurred in the 5 to 9 year olds, 50.6 in the 10 to 14 year olds and 50.6 in the over 14 year olds per 100,000 and year” (Merger, et al 173). Recent research shows the male to female ratio of IDDM incidence in children under 14 was 1:1, and the ratio is 1:7 in children over the age of 14 (Merger, et al 173). The highest area of prevalence of IDDM is found in Finland with 64.2 per 100,000 per year in 2005, and the lowest incidence is from China and Venezuela with a rate of 0.1 per 100,000 per year

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