Juvenile diabetes is the older medical term for what is usually called type 1 diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Considered an autoimmune disease where the body attacks its own tissues, in this case, the beta cells of the pancreatic islands or islets. It is usually a
disorder that lasts for one's entire life but only if the blood sugar/glucose levels are well controlled. Longstanding out-of-control or high sugar levels cause damage to the blood vessels and especially those of the blood vessels of the eyes, kidneys and nervous system but also the
heart and brain and overall circulation.
Current research has suggested several possible "cures" for type 1 diabetes that would counter-attack the autoimmune attack or, if detected in its earliest stages, perhaps even prevent the autoimmune attack. One of these drugs is recently cleared by the US FDA for such use; long term effectiveness isn't yet known but looks promising. Several other avenues of research also have looked at common viruses associated with type 1 diabetes, protection in breast-fed infants as well as other types of immune protecting/blocking medications but these are still being evaluated.
The best way to better control high and low blood sugar levels in those with type 1 diabetes is with in-depth education of the person with diabetes and their family, frequent self blood glucose or continuous blood glucose monitoring and multidose insulin treatment programs - sometimes with insulin pumps in recent years connected to continuous BG monitoring systems and with automatic dosing possible. Excellent education books exist in multiple languages around the world. Two of my most favorite to recommend are the Pink Panther Diabetes manual by Peter Chase and David Maahs and the Type 1 Diabetes Manual written by Ragnar Hanas. Both are available from your local bookstores or on-line purchase. Your local diabes team may also have copies.
Stuart Brink, MD
Senior Endocrinologist, New England Diabetes & Endocrinology Center (NEDEC)

Unfortunately, in the present time, the only way to control juvenile diabetes is proper administration of insulin and a low-carb diet. But new studies may develop a difference.

Type 1 diabetes is a metabolic condition in which the body does not make sufficient insulin, whereby the patient requires insulin for survival. It is mostly an autoimmune disease. The autoimmune process destroys the insulin producing cells and blood glucose gets uncontrolled. Therefore, insulin is important not only to manage the diabetes, but also for survival. If diabetes is left untreated with insulin, this can lead to diabetic coma, organ failure, and death. But with proper treatment, the patient can live (almost) normal life. There are acute and chronic complications of uncontrolled diabetes. The acute complications of uncontrolled diabetes are severe 1) hypoglycemic symptoms, dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, jitteriness. Sometimes it can lead to seizures (from too much insulin). 2) Diabetic ketoacidosis, which can lead to coma (from too little insulin). There are also chronic complications of uncontrolled diabetes such as eye disease, kidney disease, nerve disease, high cholesterol, etc.

Since uncontrolled diabetes has grave consequences, it needs to be treated properly to avoid these short-term and long-term complications. When diabetes is well-controlled, the patient should be able to continue normal life like any normal person. Does type 1 diabetes or juvenile diabetes go away? In most cases, it may not go away because the immune system keeps on destroying the insulin producing cells continuously. So, the destruction of islet cells is greater than regeneration. Therefore, the number of Islet cells will dwindle with time. In a few cases (atypical diabetes), they may improve or go away. But, in the vast majority of cases, juvenile diabetes is lifelong. When it is managed well, life is almost normal.
During the early phase of diabetes, most children go through a honeymoon period (transient improvement in blood sugars) after a couple of weeks of starting treatment. But most honeymoons will be over in a couple of months. You have to focus more on managing the diabetes and will have an excellent outcome. Once you manage it well, the child will excel in life. Your child will do well not only at school, but also excel in sports. Please work closely with your diabetes educators and your doctor.
Good luck.

At this point, there is no cure, but a lot of research is going on. Hopefully, we will find a cure one day.

Best,

LG

It depends on which type of diabetes was diagnosed. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a life -time condition. Type 2 diabetes mellitus could be reversed.

Hopefully, we will find a cure in your son's lifetime. Until then, it is a lifelong disease. We definitely are developing better and better ways to treat/manage diabetes. We also think we are closer to a cure.

Sadly, no known cure for type 1 (juvenile onset) diabetes. Lots of research people working on this for quite some time, so nobody knows when some of this research will produce a "cure." However, there is excellent new insulin and ways to deliver it with insulin pumps now connected to continuous glucose monitoring and semi-automatic insulin delivery by these
pumps. You should be active and learn as much as possible, read Ragnar Hanas' Type 1 Diabetes manual as well as the Chase and Maahs' Pink Panther manual since they have excellent information. ADA, JDRF, ChildrenwithDiabetes, Diatribe are also excellent websites to explore and there are excellent camping programs for kids with diabetes worth
considering, too.

Stuart Brink, MD