The cause of Type 1 diabetes is not yet certain, but researchers have identified trigger factors to the disease.
Genetics
T1D is a genetic disorder. To date, scientists have been able to identify forty markers that can trigger the disease in individuals. These genetic markers are hypothesized to be related to the body’s immune response. Researchers are hypothesizing that an insulin gene has several variations that may start the attack of the pancreatic B-cells. Although still unclear, the genetic association can account for family history. Identical twins are more likely going to have the same diagnosis when they reach 40 at least more than 50% of the time. If both parents have T1D, children are at risk 30% of the time. If fathers have T1D, the risk is at 6% while it drops to 3% when it is the mother who has it.
While T1D crosses ethnic and racial lines, it is more prevalent among European populations, and scientists attribute this to several genes that these populations share with each other.
Viral infections
Genetics can provide susceptibility while viral infections can trigger it. This should not mean that T1D is contagious. What it means is that people who are already at risk there is possibly a viral infection can trigger it. A lot of studies have shown that an increase in diagnosed T1D usually follows enterovirus outbreaks, especially with the coxsackievirus. Having the antibodies to the coxsackievirus has been noted to increase B-cell autoimmunity. Other viral infections have also been investigated, but none showed a stronger correlation than enteroviruses.
Respiratory infections among children can also be a risk for T1D. In one study, children who had shown the islet antibodies which is a prelude to T1D have at least one to two respiratory infections in the first year of their lives. It is unclear whether the antibodies from the respiratory infection affected the autoimmunity.
Environmental factors
Before the development of T1D, it has been proposed that patients might already have prediabetes. In prediabetes, blood sugar is higher than normal but still not enough to be classified as diabetes. For individuals who might have T1D but are still in prediabetes, there will be the presence of two or more antibodies. Prediabetes has been significant in the study of T1D causes. Scientists were able to compare the gut bacteria of individuals with prediabetes and those with T1D and found that their microbiomes are less diverse than in healthy individuals.
The rise in T1D cases in the past decades seems to suggest that changes in diet, lifestyle, drugs, and medication may affect the gut microbiota which is part of the development of T1D. Each person has a unique gut ecosystem, but diet is one of the major factors that can influence the gut. If a person switches their diet so does their microbiomes. Other factors that can affect the gut are culture and location. Whether gut bacteria affect, autoimmunity is still being researched right now.
Myths
There are some myths surrounding T1D. Some people think that dietary and lifestyle changes are enough to combat it. While diet and lifestyle changes can increase the risk of T1D manifesting early, scientists think it is about epigenetics. An individual is predisposed to the disease, and environmental factors cause the gene to manifest itself. So, it is a myth that diet and lack of exercise alone trigger all forms of diabetes. You are not going to develop T1D if you have an unhealthy lifestyle without any predisposition; however, your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes might increase.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4380133/
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/type1.html
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/117739-overview?src=refgatesrc1#a4
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5348720/
http://www.jdrf.org/about/what-is-t1d/causes/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26729037/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26051037
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/myths/
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