T1D Information for FAMILIES

In type 1 diabetes (T1D), the immune system destroys cells in the pancreas that make insulin. Insulin helps us use the energy from foods we eat. A person who has T1D needs lifelong daily insulin injections to stay healthy. Screening for T1D — with a simple blood test for T1D associated antibodies (islet autoantibodies) — can identify children who are at high risk of developing T1D and can prevent children from getting very sick.

1.  Most children with T1D (90%)  DO NOT have a family member with T1D.

2.  Most children who develop T1D are otherwise healthy.  

 

3.  Type 1 diabetes can be hard to recognize.

Symptoms of increased thirst, increased urination and lack of weight gain or weight loss can be hard to recognize. Because these symptoms can be subtle, early T1D can look like a growth spurt or even a change in thirst associated with a change in routine or the weather. Sometimes, parents simply don’t realize that their child is urinating more while at school or during the night. 
 

4.  Screening for T1D and having a healthcare team support your family if you screen positive can prevent your child from becoming very sick with DKA and needing treatment in a pediatric intensive care unit.   
Although rates vary across the United States, in Colorado nearly 60% of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are sick enough to have diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and require treatment in the intensive care unit. DKA happens when the body doesn’t make enough insulin to allow sugar into cells for energy. The body starts breaking down fat for energy, and when fat is broken down, ketones are made. Ketones can build up to dangerous levels that can lead to a child being very sick.  Children detected by screening for T1D associated antibodies rarely progress to DKA. Prior studies at the Barbara Davis Center, including the TEDDY and DAISY studies have shown that 90% of children who know they have the T1D associated antibodies and are connected with a healthcare team avoid DKA at onset of diabetes. 
 

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5. T1D Prevention trials may be available if your child screens positive. 

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6. Therapies approved for early T1D treatment

On November 17, 2022, the FDA approved TZIELD (teplizumab). TZIELD has the potential to delay the onset of clinical type 1 diabetes (T1D). It is approved for adults and pediatric patients aged 8 years and older with Stage 2 T1D. Stage 2 T1D is when a person has 2 or more T1D-associated autoantibodies (GAD, IAA, IA-2, ICA512, and/or Znt8) and dysglycemia. Dysglycemia in stage 2 T1D is defined by the American Diabetes Association as a fasting blood glucose of 100-125 mg/dl, a 2-hour glucose during an oral glucose tolerance test of 140-199 mg/dl or an HbA1c between 5.7-6.4%. 

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Research done in TrialNet showed that people who received TZIELD had an average of 2 more years before the onset of clinical T1D (Stage 3 T1D) compared to those who did not receive TZIELD. Additionally, more people who were given TZIELD had not been diagnosed with Stage 3 T1D by the end of the study compared with people who did not receive TZIELD. TZIELD is an intravenous (IV) infusion. This means the medication is given through a needle into a vein in the arm. Infusions are once a day, every day, for 14 days. Treatment is completed after 14 days. TZIELD attaches to specific cells in the immune system and may work by turning off the immune cells that attack the insulin-making cells in the pancreas. Evaluation for Tzield treatment can take place at the Barbara Davis Center Early T1D Clinic in Aurora, CO, or in several other locations throughout the United States that may be closer to you.