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JDRF has now rebranded to Breakthrough T1D.
Our name has changed, our mission has not.

Treatments for type 1 diabetes

Learn about the different ways of putting insulin into your body, and how to manage your blood glucose levels.

A woman preparing to inject insulin

Starting your treatment

Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have lived with type 1 for some time, you’ll work with your Diabetes Healthcare Team to get a treatment plan that works for you. It’s good to know as much as you can, but remember, you don’t have to learn it all at once. This is information you can keep coming back to throughout your type 1 journey.

How do you treat type 1 diabetes?

There are two parts to treating type 1 diabetes – putting insulin into your body and managing your blood glucose levels. This is because when you have type 1 diabetes, your body can’t make its own insulin, so it has no way of regulating the amount of glucose in your blood.

What technologies are used for type 1 diabetes?

Lots of technology has been developed to help manage type 1 diabetes. There are devices which help to monitor your blood glucose levels, like blood glucose meterscontinuous glucose monitors and flash glucose monitors, and devices to administer insulin, like smart pens and insulin pumps. Sometimes the technology works together in what are called ‘hybrid closed loop systems’ or the ‘artificial pancreas.’

We’ve built a type 1 technology-finding tool, which will show you what’s available in your area and help you to have better discussions about technology with your healthcare team.

Taking insulin

There are different types of insulin and pieces of kit that get insulin into your body. Find out more about what insulin is, how to inject and how to use insulin pumps and smart pens.

Monitoring glucose

You can use blood glucose meters to check your blood glucose levels throughout the day. These are often referred to as ‘finger prick tests’. If you’d like to use more advanced technology, find out more about continuous glucose monitors and flash glucose monitors.

Are there other treatments for type 1 besides insulin?

Islet cell transplants

Islet cell transplants, which replace the cells that secrete insulin, are not routinely offered unless you’re dealing with hypo unawareness. Find out more about islet transplants.

Types of treatments

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