(New York, NY, Tuesday, May 31, 2022) – Each year in the U.S., 64,000 people are newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Because most people do not have a family history of T1D and don’t know what to look for, many people require hospitalization at diagnosis because their blood sugars are very high, and they’re sick with the sudden onset of symptoms like thirst, hunger, increased urination, weight loss and fatigue. Thanks to advances in research and a better understanding of the human immune system, risk for T1D can now be detected many years before the onset of symptoms by looking for markers in the blood called autoantibodies.

JDRF is the leading global type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization, and their T1Detect screening program can help guide anyone through screening for T1D. If autoantibodies are detected, knowing the signs and symptoms of T1D and creating a monitoring plan with your doctor can help prevent hospitalization at diagnosis. By identifying more people who are in the early stages of type 1 diabetes through screening, researchers can learn more about the progression of the disease and contribute to research that aims to discover how to delay and ultimately prevent it from occurring. All T1D advances to date have been because thousands of people with T1D stepped forward and participated in clinical trials.

Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill, Ph.D., ARNP, CDCES is the community screening and clinical trials education director at JDRF and discusses the benefits of being screened for T1D, how to find a screening near you, and what to do after you receive your results.

Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill, Ph.D., ARNP, CDCES is the community screening and clinical trials education director at JDRF. She’s been a JDRF volunteer since her daughter was diagnosed in 2002. Prior to joining JDRF in this role, Anastasia spent 14 years as a clinician scientist and faculty member in academic medicine, where she had an active clinical practice and was a T1D clinical trials investigator.