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January 13, 2007

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Question from New Jersey, USA:

My son has had type 1 diabetes since he was 13 years old. He is now 20 and on an insulin pump for five years. The last blood test, I noticed his C-Peptide results were 0.5. Does this mean he is still making some insulin on his own? His A1cs have been under 7.0 since his diagnosis.

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

It seems like some insulin production is still possible if the C-Peptide remains positive after so many years.

SB

[Editor’s comment: According to research by Dr. David Harlan of the NIH/NIDDK, some people with long standing type 1 diabetes have measurable C-Peptide production, which may help reduce their risk of complications and could indicate that the body continues to generate new islets even in the face of the autoimmune attack of type 1 diabetes.

BH]