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DLC supports the bipartisan, bicameral Strengthening Collective Resources for EncouragingEducation Needed (SCREEN) for Type 1 Diabetes Act introduced in the 118th Congress, whichaims to raise awareness around the importance of Type 1 diabetes screening introduced byCongresswoman Kim Schrier. We ask for your support for the reintroduction of this importantlegislation in the 119th Congress.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a lifelong autoimmune disease that destroys healthy insulin-producingcells in the pancreas that regulate blood sugar. The disease cannot be prevented today and resultsin a lifelong dependence on insulin and reliance on many other costly medical interventions tosurvive. While researchers don’t know the exact causes of T1D, factors and triggers that increaserisk include family history, viral infections, and environmental factors.
We now know T1D develops over time in three stages. Often by the time symptoms show,individuals are hospitalized in stage 3, the final stage, when the body is no longer able to makeenough insulin, blood glucose is high, and serious complications like diabetic ketoacidosis(DKA) are more likely to occur.
Given scientific advancements, a T1D diagnosis doesn’t have to be a crisis. It is now possible toscreen for a person’s risk of developing T1D in stages 1 and 2, often before symptoms arepresent. A simple blood test can detect autoantibodies, proteins that attack the body’s cells,months to years before a person begins experiencing symptoms.
While there is no known T1D cure, early detection via autoantibody screening can help families:
30-40% of youth diagnosed with T1D in the US experience the serious complication of DKA atdiagnosis. Screening can significantly reduce this risk.
Who should screen? T1D affects all races and ethnicities and can be diagnosed at any age. If youhave a biological parent, child, or sibling with T1D, you have an up to 15x increased risk ofdeveloping the condition. However, approximately 90% of people diagnosed with T1D have nofamily history at all. It’s also important for anyone diagnosed with Type 2, gestational, orprediabetes to talk to their doctor to consider a T1D autoantibody screen to rule out T1D. Severaloptions for T1D screening exist in a doctor’s office, a clinical lab, or at home. Learn more aboutwhat option may be right for you and your constituents at gettingaheadoftype1.org.
Erin Callahan, Chief Operating Officer, ecallahan@diabetespac.org
April Gutmann, Sr. Manager Government Affairs & Policy, agutmann@diabetespac.org
March 2025
