What is Type 1 diabetes?
[[File:3D medical animation still of Type One Diabetes.jpg|thumb|252x252px|3D medical animation still of type 1 diabetes showing [[:en:Insulin|insulin]] production in a diabetic patient and in normal condition.]] '''Type 1 diabetes''', also called '''diabetes mellitus type 1''', is an [[autoimmune disease]] that results in high blood sugar. This is because the body cannot create enough of the hormone [[insulin]]. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin injections to stay healthy. If they do not get enough insulin, they can become very sick or even die. People with type 1 diabetes have an increased risk of developing [[cardiovascular disease|diseases involving blood vessels]] such as [[stroke]], [[heart disease]] or [[gangrene]]. About 15% of people with [[diabetes mellitus|diabetes]] have type 1. == Cause == Type 1 diabetes is a condition caused by a lack of [[insulin]] in the body. Insulin is a [[hormone]] produced by [[cell]]s in the [[pancreas]]. Insulin is responsible for moving sugars out of the blood and into cells to be used by the body for energy. If insulin is not made, the body will search for other ways to get the sugars needed to feed the body's cells, including breaking down muscle and fat, leading to a loss of weight.<ref>Type 1 Diabetes, NHS Choices, http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes-type1/pages/introduction.aspx {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151112011230/http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Diabetes-type1/pages/introduction.aspx |date=2015-11-12 }}. Accessed 09/11/2015</ref> Insulin is not being produced in the pancreas due to an autoimmune condition attacking its cells. The body's [[Immune System|immune system]] mistakenly attacks the cells responsible for producing insulin in the pancreas, the [[beta cell]]. The beta cells are damaged in a way that prevents them from producing more insulin. As more and more of these cells are damaged, less insulin is produced in the body. This means that more sugar remains in the bloodstream rather than being moved into cells. This high b