Improving the detection and management of type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes affects around 370,000 adults in the UK, about 10% of all those diagnosed with diabetes. In type 1 diabetes there is a lack of beta cell insulin secretion as a result of autoimmune destruction of the beta cells. However, patients are not affected by insulin resistance, and so do not routinely experience the features of metabolic syndrome that occur in type 2 diabetes. NICE recommends considering further investigation with autoantibody testing or measurement of C-peptide when: type 1 diabetes is suspected but the presentation includes atypical features (e.g. age ≥50, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, slow evolution of hyperglycaemia or long prodrome); type 1 diabetes has been diagnosed and treatment started but there is a clinical suspicion that the patient may have a monogenic form of diabetes, and C-peptide and/or autoantibody testing may guide the use of genetic testing; classification is uncertain, and confirming type 1 diabetes would have implications for therapy. Structured education is the cornerstone of care providing tools to allow effective self-management. Following a new diagnosis of type 1 diabetes structured education should be offered within 12 months. Newly diagnosed patients should be offered a regimen including a basal (long-acting) insulin with bolus (rapid-acting) insulin given at mealtimes. The optimal regimen, which should be offered from diagnosis, is a combination of twice daily insulin detemir and a rapid-acting analogue given at mealtimes. However, where glycaemic control is already optimised on an alternative insulin regimen this should not be discontinued.