In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system attacks cells in the pancreas. Why this happens is not yet known exactly
Cause of type 1 diabetes is almost always an autoimmune response. This means that the immune system defense cells attack the insulin-producing beta cells in your body and destroy them. The beta cells are (along with the alpha cells that the blood sugar increasing hormone glucagon producing) in the pancreas . These are the hormones insulin and glucagon from directly into the blood.
The detailed background of the autoimmune reaction are not known. play a certain role heredity. But not everyone who has a parent with type 1 diabetes, ill yourself. The risk is only a few percent. If both parents are affected, it rises to 20 fathers appear here frequently to pass a type 1 diabetes to their offspring.
It is thought that perhaps certain environmental factors (such as early
contact with cow's milk) or viral infections (in particular so-called
suspect are enteroviruses) promote the development of type 1 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes: Most early start
In general, the type 1 diabetes developed before age 40, often already during childhood and adolescence. Previously it was therefore also called juvenile diabetes (juvenile diabetes). However, the autoimmune reaction takes a long time gradually and without symptoms. The corresponding antibodies can, however, by blood test for months to prove to years before the onset of diabetes.
Special form LADA
A special form of type 1 diabetes is with LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults) referred. This is a mostly occurring in lean adult diabetes with very mild symptoms. It has features of diabetes type 1 and type. 2 To experience the typical type 1 autoantibodies. Often LADA but initially mistaken for a type 2 diabetes, because like this help first tablets. After about two years LADA patients usually require treatment with insulin.
Type 1 diabetes without antibodies
In addition to the above-described form of type 1 diabetes (Type 1a),
there is another form in which the beta cells are destroyed, but without
antibodies against insulin or parts of the islet cells are detectable. It is idiopathic type 1 diabetes referred to (Type 1b). So far it is not clear what causes trigger this variant of type 1 diabetes.