Prevention of type 1 diabetes

Almost every person in the world has heard about diabetes. Those who have not need to know that type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease. The experts are still not sure just how the process of pancreatic cell destruction works but they are sure about certain risk factors. In addition to this, immune-related markers are also known. This is important because by knowing this, people will be able to know when they suffer from the disease in its early stages. The good thing about type 1 diabetes is that now it can be predicted in some people. This is good because the experts are now looking into ways of making a therapy which will stop and even prevent cell destruction in these patients.

Causes of type 1 diabetes

A person can end up with type 1 diabetes because of inheritance. Even though the mechanism of damage is autoimmune, there are other factors that contribute to the occurrence of type 1 diabetes, like viruses and environmental factors. Some of the most common viruses that lead to diabetes are mumpus virus, Coxsackie virus, cytomegalovirus and hepatitis viruses. The diet a person follows can also influence the development of diabetes. A person who consumes a lot of dairy products has a greater chance of developing type 1 diabetes. Emotional and physical stress can also lead to diabetes. Exposure to certain environmental toxins is a known cause as well.

Rare causes

There are some factors that can cause the occurrence of type 1 diabetes but do not occur often. They are autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type I and X-linked polyendrocinopathy, immune dysfunction and diarrhea. A family history and early cessation of breast-feeding are known as contributory factors.

Race

Even though every person can develop type 1 diabetes, some races are more prone to it. Some of these races are Caucasian of northern European ancestry and people from the Scandinavian region. On the other hand, Hispanic or Latin American people have lesser chance of ending up with type 1 diabetes. People from Asia also have a lesser chance.

Prevention

People need to know that there is still no sure way a person can prevent type 1 diabetes from occurring. Early cessation of breast-feeding is connected with the increased chance of developing type 1 diabetes but there is still no strong proof. People should really think about early screening because it may help discover the disease in its early stages.