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Can you get type 1 at any age?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
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Hi I have been type 1 since I was 5 and I always assumed you only got it as a child and up to early adulthood but I heard recently that you can get it in your 30's and 40's is this true?
 
Yes you can get T1 at any age just more common in younger years than in the older age group

Older people though do tend to have a slower onset unlike children who have a very short on set period
 
Hi,

Yes you can get it in adulthood too. I was 20 when i was diagnosed, and there's more amongst the forum that were diagnosed older than i was.

I think that's why it's more often called Type 1 diabetes and not Juvenile onset diabetes now as it can be misleading to say it only happens to children.

It's similar to Type 2 diabetes, not just adults get that type either.

Diabetes doesn't really mind what age, sex, shape, race you are :)
 
Yes you most definitely can develop T1 as an adult. As has been mentioned it is less common though.

Typically you will find that adults that develop T1 will have a hostory of some other Autoimmune conditions and this is the key. It is genetic it just happens that your immune system took its time taking an interest in your Beta Cells.

I developed T1, confirmed with test for antibodies, 2 years ago at age 31.
 
Yep, I was diagnosed at 49.

In a way I think that I am lucky, in that I had 49 years without diabetes, a diabetes free childhood and adolescence.

My heart goes out to the children (and their parents) that have to cope with diabetes at such an early age.
 
Yes I got it in my early 50s, I've read of people developing it at much older ages.
One study in Italy found that among males there were twin peaks in incidence: one at age 10-14, and a second at age 45-49. The trend in females was similar except that the second peak wasn’t as high as the first .
The numbers of people with T1 is increasing dramatically, especially in those countries where people seem to be susceptible to it such as the UK, Norway and US.
(it's all the fault of those Vikings!)
One US doc recently wrote
The incidence of type 1 diabetes is doubling roughly every 2 decades in developed
nations. The rising population of U.S. adults with type 1 diabetes has two sources: a steady increase in patients with new-onset type 1 disease arising in their 30s, 40s, and beyond, and improved longevity of patients with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes.
Click to expand...
http://fpn.imng.com/fileadmin/content_p ... 9_main.pdf
 
Jodie said:
Hi I have been type 1 since I was 5 and I always assumed you only got it as a child and up to early adulthood but I heard recently that you can get it in your 30's and 40's is this true?
Click to expand...

Yes Jodie, it's true! It is more common to appear in childhood but you can still get it even if you are in your 20s/30s/40s and even 50s! I was 14 myself :)
 
Hi, was it a shock or had your instinct told you despite what your GP had told you otherwise? How is your son now? Anna.x :)
 
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