On the final day of Diabetes Awareness Month, I am proud to announce that the SMHP™, with a team of 15 authors, has released its position statement on Type 1 diabetes, demanding that low-carb diets be offered at the point of diagnosis.
We must confront the staggering toll of diabetes, a disease affecting over 500 million people worldwide. Diabetes is deadly, and Type 1 patients are among the most vulnerable. Type 1 diabetes carries lifelong risks: heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputations, and mental health struggles. On average, Type 1 patients die 15 years earlier than those without diabetes—an urgent crisis demanding action.
Dr. Laura Buchanan highlighted the severity of these outcomes:
“Women diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes before age 10 have a nearly 18-year shorter lifespan than their non-diabetic counterparts; for men, it is 14 years. These numbers are unacceptable and represent, in part, the failure of our current medical system and standard of treatment. This paper, showing the impact of Therapeutic Carbohydrate Restriction, is a huge step in bringing awareness to another treatment option with the potential to reverse these striking outcomes.”
For Type 1 patients, managing blood glucose requires more than insulin—it demands constant vigilance and a complex plan to prevent life-threatening complications. Even with rigorous management, Type 1 patients face a tenfold higher risk of heart attacks compared to the general population. They are nearly 20 times more likely to go blind, and amputations remain disturbingly common.
The toll isn’t just physical. Depression rates are double those of the general population, and blood sugar instability fuels daily anxiety. Knowing their lifespan may be cut short by 15 years or more is a heavy, daily burden.
Dr. Tro Kalayjian underscored the urgency for change:
“The immense burdens of Type 1 Diabetes include life-threatening complications with lifespan cut short an average of 15 years. Outdated guidelines and hesitancy in the medical community to promote dietary change mean patients are still getting blanket recommendations that are not helping. Every patient deserves reliable information, and this paper represents the growing body of research that supports Therapeutic Carbohydrate Restriction for both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. The need for change is real, and the time for action is now!”
Therapeutic Carbohydrate Restriction (TCR) is widely accepted for Type 2 diabetes, but outdated guidelines and medical hesitancy hinder its use for Type 1 patients. Research shows TCR improves blood glucose stability and reduces complications in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Every patient deserves a normal A1c and access to resources for carbohydrate reduction. Blanket recommendations to cut calories or eat vegetarian are no longer acceptable. The guidelines provide a document that patients and families can take to their doctors to advocate for TCR as their medical nutrition therapy.
Every patient with Type 1 diabetes deserves access to a medical team, support in eating low-carb, real foods that improve their health, and a path forward that rejects the dogma of the status quo. This paper is a call to action for a better, more compassionate approach to care.
Head over to thesmhp.org to read the latest article on its position on an innovative nutritional intervention for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM): Therapeutic Carbohydrate Reduction (TCR).
If you are interested in a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) or patient-centered metabolic care, Toward Health and Dr. Tro’s team offer nationwide options to help you take control of your health. Order your CGM with no strings attached or join our Virtual Metabolic Care program. If you’re looking for more comprehensive support, contact us to get started with our Concierge Telemedicine Care today.
