Type 1 diabetes is chronic disease. In people with type 1 diabetes, cells within the pancreas that make insulin are destroyed, and therefore the body is unable to form insulin. It requires lifelong treatment once it develops. The body doesn't produce enough insulin, and blood glucose levels remain high unless an individual takes steps to manage high blood sugar. Without enough insulin, glucose cannot enter the cells and remains in the bloodstream. With type 1 diabetes, an infection or another trigger causes the body to mistakenly attack the cells within the pancreas that make insulin. The tendencies to develop autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, are often inherited from your parents.