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The cause of Type 1 Diabetes is largely unknown but research has shown that genetic factors are important risk factors.

There are certain steps that can be taken to lower the impact of Type 1 Diabetes on health and quality of life by reducing the risk of developing serious medical complications associated with diabetes.

The sooner Type 1 Diabetes is detected and treatment can begin, the better.

Type 1 Diabetes often runs in families – but family history may not be enough to assess your personal risk – deCODEme calculates your genetic risk for Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes can occur at any age, but usually first develops in childhood or adolescence

Type 1 Diabetes is less common that Type 2 diabetes. Although this type of diabetes can occur at any age, it usually first develops in childhood or adolescence. In fact, Type 1 Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood and adolescence. About 1 in every 400 to 600 children and adolescents develops Type 1 Diabetes, and currently it is estimated that more than 700,000 Americans have the disease, or 0.4% of the population.

The incidence of Type 1 Diabetes is increasing in many parts of the world

Over the past 40 years, a major increase has been reported in the incidence of Type 1 Diabetes in many European countries as well as in the US. The number of new cases of Type 1 Diabetes in the US has in recent years been increasing by approximately 3% per year. The reason for this is unclear, but some research suggests that viral infections may trigger the disease in genetically susceptible individuals.

Type 1 Diabetes is defined as an autoimmune disease

In this type of diabetes, the immune system attacks and gradually destroys the islet cells of the pancreas. These cells normally produce insulin, the hormone that moves sugar from the bloodstream into the body’s cells and tissues, where it can be used for energy. It is unknown what first starts this autoimmune reaction, but evidence suggests that both a genetic predisposition and environmental factors are involved.

Patients with Type 1 Diabetes need to take daily insulin to survive

When the islet cells are destroyed, little or no insulin is produced, which means that sugar cannot be moved out of the blood and blood sugar levels rise. Because the body can´t make use of the sugar, it spills over into the urine and is lost. Weakness, weight loss, frequent urination, and excessive thirst are among the early symptoms.

People with Type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin to survive. Maintaining stable and normal blood sugar levels is very important, because uncontrolled blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of developing several serious health problems, including heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness.

Genetic factors play a significant role in Type 1 Diabetes

Although the cause of Type 1 Diabetes is largely unknown, it has been shown that genetic factors are important risk factors. Twenty-eight genetic variants have been identified that increase the risk of developing Type 1 Diabetes: four on chromosome 12, three on chromosome 16, two on each of the following chromosomes: 1, 2, 4, 6 (one of them tags the HLA-DRB1 allele), 10, 14 and 17, and one on each of the following chromosomes: 7, 11, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22.

deCODEme calculates your genetic risk for Type 1 Diabetes

The deCODEme Complete Scan identifies all of the variants listed above and uses them to provide customers of European descent with a personalized interpretation of their genetic risk for developing Type 1 Diabetes.

At present, the necessary scientific information to interpret the genetic risk for individuals of other ethnicities is not available. This information will be added as soon as it becomes available and we are assured of its quality.

risk factors

The causes for Type 1 Diabetes are unclear, but genetic and/or environmental causes that trigger the autoimmune destruction of insulin-secreting islet cells in the pancreas seem to be the main players. Established risk factors for Type 1 Diabetes are:

• Ethnicity: People of European decent have a greater risk of developing T1D than African Americans, Asians, or Hispanics.
• Genetics: A large body of evidence indicates that genetic factors influence both the risk of developing T1D and the resistance to developing Type 1 Diabetes. The disease tends to run in families, with an average 6% risk of two siblings developing the disease compared with a 0.4% risk of two unrelated individuals developing the disease.

prevention and treatment

There is no known way to prevent Type 1 Diabetes. Several clinical trials are however, underway or being planned to investigate methods for preventing or slowing down the progression of the disease.

There are certain steps that can be taken to lower the impact of Type 1 Diabetes on health and quality of life by reducing the risk of developing serious medical complications associated with diabetes. The sooner Type 1 Diabetes is detected and treatment can begin the better. At this time, the medical community has no established procedure for screening at-risk children. If a child’s close family member (parent or sibling) has Type 1 Diabetes, that child should be monitored for symptoms (such as unusual thirst or hunger and increased frequency of urination).

Type 1 Diabetes is treated with blood sugar monitoring, insulin, exercise, and a special diet. Untreated Type 1 Diabetes is life threatening. To survive, people with Type 1 Diabetes must have insulin delivered several times a day by injection or a pump. Without proper daily management of blood sugar levels, medical emergencies and serious health complications may arise that may decrease quality of life and length of life.

more information

You can find out more information about Type 1 Diabetes by talking with your doctor and visiting these Web sites:

• The American Diabetes Association
• Centers for Disease Control – Diabetics Public Resource
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
• Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases

This content was last reviewed on February 08, 2010.

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