Pathophysiology of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Pathophysiology of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
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Abstract
As of 2021, there were approximately 8.4 million individuals diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) with the number expected to reach 13.5- 17.4 million cases of T1DM cases by the year 2040. T1DM is a chronic disease attributed to genetic and environmental factors and is largely characterized by decreased levels of insulin due to damaged beta cells. Consequently, the patient has high blood glucose levels given that insulin plays a major role in the regulation of blood glucose levels. High blood glucose contributes to signs and symptoms such as frequent urination, frequent hunger, and thirst, among others. T1D has short-term and long-term complications. In the short term, the patient experiences confusion, seizures, and tremors due to hypoglycemia. On the other hand, hyperglycemia results in coma, nocturia, ketoacidosis, and externalizing behaviors in the short term. In the long term, hypoglycemia leads to retinopathy, nephropathy, and microvascular diseases while hyperglycemia results in neuropathy, impotence, and pregnancy complications. The diagnostic tests of T1Dm are based on the measurement of one’s blood glucose levels. Insulin injection is the commonly used pharmacological intervention, with regular exercise, diet regulation, and blood glucose monitoring considered effective non-pharmacological interventions for T1DM patients. Patient education can equip T1DM patients with the skills required to manage T1DM. Given the increasing prevalence of T1DM, nurses should be properly equipped with the knowledge and skills required to manage the disease
 
Pathophysiology of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Introduction
Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic disease attributed to environmental and genetic factors characterized by dysfunctional beta-cells that do not produce the sufficient insulin required to regulate blood sugar levels (Chiang et al., 2018). Consequently, patients with Type 1 diabetes have elevated levels of blood sugar. The prevalence of T1DM has been steadily rising with time, a trend that is expected to continue over time. Thus, nurses should be properly equipped with the knowledge and skills required to manage the disease. In this paper, the incidence, etiology, symptomatology, sequalae, diagnostic test, management approaches, and relevant patient education of T1DM will be presented.
Incidence
           T1DM has equal incidence in both males and females in childhood, but it is more prevalent among males in adulthood. Despite the importance of incidence data for shaping public health policies, there is scarce data on the global prevalence of T1DM. Gregory et al. (2022) estimate with 95 percent uncertainty that the number of individuals with T1DM globally is 8.4 million as of 2021. Of the estimated number, individuals aged 20 to 59 years make up the largest segment at 5.4 million, followed by those aged above 60 years at 1.6 million, and those below 20 years following closely at 1.5 million (Gregory et al., 2022). The number of new global T1DM cases worldwide in 2021 was 0.5 million, with the median age of onset being 29 years ...