It is easy to be overwhelmed by the information and wonder morbidly about the above questions, especially when there is no support. This attitude and line of thinking can very easily increase stress and lead to an early death. Fortunately, there is enough support from voluntary bodies and governmental and non-governmental agencies that will intervene and change that flow of thought.
Juvenile Diabetes Life Expectancy:
All these agencies are working to increase the life span of those suffering from diabetes. This is achieved by early detection, tracking and control of blood sugar, and life management.
There may be a change in the perception of the disease as a life-threatening disease, or even a lifelong disease, with all the funding and research there seems to be a promise of a much-awaited cure.
No one can predict juvenile diabetes life expectancy in the face of all the technological advances and the treatments provided; in fact in the current scenario, the juvenile diabetes life expectancy has improved.
Each individual, each life is unique and each experience is therefore a one-off and consequently each response to diabetes is singular. Yet, statistically, life is shortened. There is a 7 to 10-year reduction especially if there are juvenile diabetes complications.
Juvenile Diabetes Complications
The main thrust of all the educational bodies and the awareness and outreach programs is so that with effective management of the disease juvenile diabetes complications subsequently, are reduced, and consequently, juvenile diabetes life expectancy is increasing.
The Enemy Within
If for various reasons, despite all the precautionary measures, the enemy within is not subdued and the insulin-producing cells are decimated, then the juvenile diabetes life expectancy is greatly reduced due to complications.
The following are the main complications:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Kidney disease
- Nerve disease
- Eye disease
The DCCT and EDIC are research organizations that have done follow-up studies that found that with intensive control of blood glucose, the risk of the above complications is reduced by an average of nearly 50%.
So yet again with such intensive controls on juvenile diabetes complications, juvenile diabetes life expectancy can increase.
Research and Hope
The 2009 issue of the JDRF E-Newsletter speaks of the research by the Australian scientist Shane Grey. He speaks of B cell therapy, where in the absence of B cells diabetes does not develop.
So the B cell is the culprit, not the T, in juvenile diabetes complications that develop subsequently. It also speaks of a messenger molecule called BAFF, without this the B cells cannot develop!
So theoretically, if we BAFF out the B cells, we can bat out diabetes from the system, technically reduce juvenile diabetes, and life expectancy is naturally increases.
Other new frontiers in research are being explored, with macro-encapsulation to reduce the risk of immunosuppressive drugs and regeneration possibilities.
Each of these is a possibility that holds immense promise for a diabetic.
