How is T1DM treated?

Next - Multiple injections of insulin vs Insulin pumps

The mainstay of treatment of T1DM is insulin therapy. Many people wonder if there is an alternative treatment but to administer insulin is to correct the cause of T1DM - ie loss of insulin secretion.

However, there are always exceptions and, it could be said that, in some, very select patients with T1DM and an excepcional insulin secretion reserve - for example, a lean 45 year old patient that was diagnosed recently - can be well controlled with some lifestyle measures (ie healthy eating and exercising regularly). In our experience, most patients will eventually need some kind of insulin therapy - at least basal insulin once a day.

There is evidence that some patients may also benefit from the use of non-insulin drugs as adjuncts to insulin therapy, but therapeutic response is very heterogeneous. The most recent promising adjuvant therapy for T1DM were SGLT-2 inhibitors, but an increased risk of ketoacidosis associated with its use led to a curbing of enthusiasm.

To learn more about insulin therapy, folllow the links above.