juvenile diabetes
Noun: A severe, chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) due to the body's inability to produce insulin. It typically has an onset in childhood or young adulthood. The condition is marked by symptoms including excessive thirst (polydipsia), frequent urination (polyuria), increased appetite (polyphagia), and unintended weight loss. Without management, it can lead to episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication. Treatment requires lifelong insulin therapy, blood sugar monitoring, and dietary management.
- The diagnosis of juvenile diabetes meant she would need to learn to manage insulin injections.
- Advances in technology, like continuous glucose monitors, have improved the quality of life for many with juvenile diabetes.
- Fundraisers for juvenile diabetes research aim to find better treatments and ultimately a cure.
- Medical Context: The term is often used in medical and lay contexts to distinguish this autoimmune, insulin-dependent form from type 2 diabetes, which more commonly develops in adulthood. However, the more precise clinical term is "type 1 diabetes."
- Historical/Evolving Terminology: While still widely understood, the term "juvenile diabetes" is sometimes considered less accurate, as type 1 diabetes can be diagnosed at any age. The phrase "onset in youth" may be used for clarity.
- Type 1 Diabetes (T1D): The preferred modern medical term for this condition.
- Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM): An older clinical term emphasizing the treatment requirement.
- Autoimmune Diabetes: A term highlighting the underlying cause, where the body's immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
- Type 1 diabetes
- Insulin-dependent diabetes (historical/clinical)
- Manage juvenile diabetes: To control the disease through medication, diet, and monitoring.
- Learning to manage juvenile diabetes is a crucial part of daily life for patients and their families.
- Onset of juvenile diabetes: The beginning or initial diagnosis of the condition.
- The onset of juvenile diabetes can be sudden and severe.
The core meaning refers to a specific, lifelong form of diabetes. It is distinct from: * Type 2 Diabetes: A form often associated with insulin resistance, frequently managed with oral medication, diet, and exercise, though sometimes requiring insulin. * Gestational Diabetes: Diabetes that develops during pregnancy. The defining features of "juvenile diabetes" are its typical early age of onset and absolute requirement for exogenous insulin to sustain life.
- severe diabetes mellitus with an early onset; characterized by polyuria and excessive thirst and increased appetite and weight loss and episodic ketoacidosis; diet and insulin injections are required to control the disease