A virus that has been shown in laboratory tests to damage beta cells. Type I diabetes in genetically susceptible people. A chemical in the blood that is passed out of the body in the urine. The amount of this chemical in blood or urine shows whether or not the kidneys are functioning properly. Traits such as eye color, height etc. are inherited.
Genes tell cells in the body what to do.
A substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the tissues in the body. Sugar attaches to hemoglobin cells which have a life-span in the body of about four to six months. When the amount of attached sugar is measured, an average blood sugar level for a two to three month period may be found. An A1C of 6.5 to eight is thought to be a very good average. It is thought that a certain type of HLA antigen may be misrecognized and actually cause the immune system to attack the proteins surrounding beta cells.