Characterizing the early stages of T1D can facilitate early detection, potentially delaying the onset of symptoms
JDRF, in collaboration with other organizations and foundations involved in diabetes research, has designed a new system to characterize early stages of type 1 diabetes (T1D) before symptoms are apparent. Recognizing the early stages of T1D provides an opportunity to delay the onset of clinical symptoms and to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hospitalization at the time of onset.
Creation of the new staging system was spurred by a growing body of research showing that T1D begins well before symptoms appear and progresses to symptomatic disease through distinct, sequential stages at a predictable rate. These stages are described in a joint scientific statement from JDRF, the Endocrine Society and the American Diabetes Association with endorsement by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, The International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes and The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. The statement was published in the online version of Diabetes Care. Richard Insel, M.D., JDRF Chief Scientific Officer, explained, “A decade of research and screening of people at risk for T1D has helped investigators better understand the onset and early stages of the disease, and that has allowed us to develop this new three-stage diagnostic approach. We believe this approach will help define a window of opportunity during which intervention may delay symptomatic disease.”
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