Consensus Report: Managing Type 1 Diabetes in Adults

What is it about?

This report covers the management of type 1 diabetes in adults. It highlights the need for guidance and clarity on medical and scientific issues related to diabetes, particularly in areas where evidence is contradictory, emerging, or incomplete. The report addresses various topics related to type 1 diabetes, including diagnosis, aims of management, insulin therapy, and behavioral considerations. The report also acknowledges the inequalities in treatment experienced by many people with type 1 diabetes and advocates for better services to ensure that all individuals with type 1 diabetes have access to the care they need.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

The consensus report on the management of type 1 diabetes in adults is important because it provides a comprehensive examination and collective analysis of the medical and scientific issues related to diabetes. The report highlights the gaps in evidence and proposes areas of future research to address these gaps. It is also important because it represents the expert opinion of the writing group, which consists of clinicians, scientists, regulators, and policymakers. Key Takeaways: 1. Type 1 diabetes is a condition caused by autoimmune damage of the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas, usually leading to severe endogenous insulin deficiency. 2. The global prevalence of type 1 diabetes is 5.9 per 10,000 people, and the incidence has risen rapidly over the last 50 years, currently estimated to be 15 per 100,000 people per year. 3. Adults with new-onset type 1 diabetes can present with a short duration of illness of 1-4 weeks or a more slowly evolving process that can be mistaken for type 2 diabetes. 4. Identifying whether an adult with newly diagnosed diabetes has type 1 diabetes may be challenging, and over 40% of those developing type 1 diabetes after age 30 years are initially treated as having type 2 diabetes. 5. An algorithm for the investigation of adults with suspected type 1 diabetes is shown in Fig. 1, and islet autoantibodies and C-peptide measurements are recommended as part of the investigation.