What Will Happen if Type 1 Diabetes Is Left Untreated?

Last Editorial Review: 5/10/2018

Ask the experts

I have type 1 diabetes and I'm so sick of the injections, the diet, the constant glucose monitoring... What happens if type 1 diabetes is left untreated? Can diabetes go away on its own?

Doctor’s Response

Do not cease treatment of diabetes.

Currently, type 1 diabetes cannot be cured.

Uncontrolled blood sugar can lead to a number long-term complications associated with diabetes such as

If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes you can prevent complications by maintaining a healthy low blood sugar, eating a healthy diet rich in vegetables, and staying physically active.

Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that people with type 1 diabetes live about 11 years less than average; however, new research also suggests this differential can be reduced with good glycemic control. Most people with type 1 diabetes die from complications of type 1 diabetes such as heart disease or kidney disease. Thus, preventing complications and following a healthy lifestyle that prevents heart disease and controls your blood sugar are the best things people with type 1 diabetes can do to live a long, healthy life.

CONTINUE SCROLLING OR CLICK HERE
References


Akerblom HK, Vaarala O, Hyöty H, Ilonen J, Knip M. "Environmental factors in the etiology of type 1 diabetes." Am J Med Genet. 2002 May 30;115(1):18-29.

Antvorskov JC, Josefsen K, Engkilde K, Funda DP, Buschard K. "Dietary gluten and the development of type 1 diabetes." Diabetologia. 2014 Sep;57(9):1770-80.

Bodin J., et al. "Can exposure to environmental chemicals increase the risk of diabetes type 1 development?" Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:208947.

Frederiksen, B., et al. "Infant Exposures and Development of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: The Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY)." JAMA pediatrics. 2013;167(9):808-815.

Morgan, MP., et al. "Imunogenetics of type 1 diabetes mellitus." Mol Aspects Med. 2015 Apr;42:42-60.

Moss SE, Klein R, Klein BEK, Meuer MS. "The association of glycemia and cause-specific mortality in a diabetic population." Arch Int Med 154:2473–2479, 1994.

Schuppan D, Hahn EG. "Celiac disease and its link to type 1 diabetes mellitus." J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2001;14 Suppl 1:597-605.