Early-stage type 1 diabetes... what is it?
Type 1 diabetes doesn’t develop overnight. The immune attack on insulin-making cells happens gradually.
We call this symptomless phase, before type 1 diabetes fully develops, early-stage type 1. There are 3 main stages.
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ALT Tile says: What is early-stage type 1 diabetes?
The silent, symptomless phase before type 1 diabetes fully develops. It can last for months or years.
ALT Tile says: How do we find early-stage type 1 diabetes?
We can look in the blood for autoantibodies.
These are proteins made by the immune system that earmark insulin-making beta cells for destruction.
ALT Tile says: Autoantibodies show future risk of type 1 diabetes
When there are 2 or more autoantibodies, type 1 has already begun and will progress through 3 stages.