A Conceptual Review of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Children with Special Reference to Prameha

Abstract

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder that commonly develops during childhood and adolescence and is characterized by progressive loss of pancreatic β-cell function with marked or complete deficiency of endogenous insulin. Children with T1DM generally require lifelong insulin replacement and regular monitoring of blood glucose to maintain metabolic control and prevent acute and chronic complications. In Ayurveda, Prameha represents a broad group of disorders characterized predominantly by abnormalities of urine quantity and quality, with Madhumeha described among its important clinical manifestations. Classical Ayurvedic literature also describes concepts such as Sahaja Prameha and Jāta Pramehi, which have been discussed by contemporary scholars in relation to diabetes presenting during childhood. The present conceptual review attempts to examine T1DM in children through the Ayurvedic framework of Prameha, with particular attention to Nidana, Dosha, Dushya, Agni, Srotas, and Samprapti. The clinical manifestations of childhood T1DM, including polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, weight loss and weakness, demonstrate certain phenomenological similarities with descriptions associated with Prameha. However, the autoimmune β-cell destruction characteristic of T1DM cannot be equated directly with the classical pathophysiological description of Prameha. Therefore, the Ayurvedic correlation should be regarded as a conceptual and comparative exercise rather than a one-to-one diagnostic equivalence. Understanding these similarities and differences may provide a foundation for further interdisciplinary research into childhood diabetes.