Not sure if everyone has seen this yet, but here’s an article on T1D that appeared in the NY Times this week - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/health/25brody.html?_r=1&ref=health
That was a really good and comprehensive article. No urban legends, no confusing the 2 types. Really excellent. Thanks for the link.
Cora
Just finished reading the article. It says alot. I’ve seen almost all of it in my time, from boiling glass syringes to the pump and CGM’s.
Thanx for the link.
I think this was a good article, but I disagree with them calling Type 1 a “much more serious” disease than Type 2. I understand they are probably trying to convey the fact that (on average) Type 1 requires more constant monitoring and has more rapid and extreme BG swings and can lead to life-threatening consequences within minutes/hours/days if BG goes very high or low, compared to Type 2. But Type 1 and Type 2 are both serious. I don’t really know how they could have worded that more accurately.
Overall, though it was good. I’m always glad to see articles on Type 1 because most people do not understand it. Most people I interact with have no idea that I struggle constantly just to keep my blood sugar in range. They think my pump does it all automatically for me. I wish!
Jen - I thought the same thing when I read it!
I think the main difference though (with regard to how you characterize “seriousness”) is that for type 1s, things can go awry much faster. T2s are generally insulin resistant, and while long-term this can be serious, they aren’t as likely to go seriously hypo or high enough to go into DKA (because they are usually still producing some insulin). My understanding is that T2 has the same LONG TERM serious implications, but not the same short-term ones. If that makes any sense…
Overall, it was a decent article. I would have liked to see more coverage about the current innovations which may lead to be better lives for those of us with T1, but at least it doesn’t mix the two conditions up! That drives me crazy.
Well written and solid info.
I think it is good to shine light on Type 1 diabetes, as Jane Brody does, but she does promote the same old tired myths about Type 1. No, Type 1 diabetes doesn’t primarily affect children, the latest stats from the CDC say that 56% of new-onset Type 1 is seen in people 20 and older, and the CDC states that that stat does not include the slow-onset Type 1s. And there are WAY more than 1 million Type 1s in the U.S. Lots of times, media people get their info from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), an organization whose emphasis is on Type 2 diabetes and who seeks to downplay the true numbers of Type 1s.
Nice overview, but . . .
“insulin shock”??? Is this 1964? What’s wrong with “hypoglycemia”?
Terry
Good article that is put in laymen’s terms.
I thought the article was sort of wierd and unfocused, like 2x articles smooshed together. On one hand you have the skiiers, doing a great job saving money to go skiing (a sport I always thought was really expensive?) and buy diabetes supplies (which I know is expensive). Then you have some bits about diabetes demography, diabetes and health care, blah blah blah, without linking anything? How much does it suck when the extra training young, aspiring “extreme skiier” [is this a job? I’d assume if it was in the Times it would be 'fact-checked but that strains credulity…] Aidan has a big tournament [???] and is out of test strips or that sort of thing engaging the two stories run under the single byline? I think the subject matter is interesting but the story sort of fails.
I guess this isn’t as badly written as most media articles about diabetes are. Still had a few myths and misinformations creeping in though, like:
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Type 1 is more serious, the ‘bad’ type. Yes I know the short-term dangers are more serious but in the long term, the complications of high blood sugar are the same
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the whole ‘juvenile’ thing is so outdated.
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mentions a possible genetic link for Type 1, when in fact it is Type 2 which is strongly genetic, much more so than T1
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and of course, as someone once misdiagnosed T2, I prickled at the reference to how weight loss can reverse T2. Really? Did someone tell that to Halle Berry and the millions of thin T2s in the world?
Good article, and I especially like how it touches on the medical cost on controlling such a disease.