Type 1 Diabetes Causes

Type 1 diabetes usually occurs as a result of your body's immune system attacking the beta cells of the pancreas by mistake.

This is known as an auto-immune reaction. The immune system destroys or damages the pancreatic cells preventing the production of insulin. The reason why the immune system acts this way is not known exactly, but doctors believe it may be due to exposure to an unidentified virus.

They also know that there is a genetic risk factor for type 1 diabetes, meaning people who have a family history of diabetes mellitus are more likely to develop an auto-immune reaction. For example, if a close relative (parent or sibling) of yours has type 1 diabetes, you have roughly a 6% chance of developing the condition yourself. In contrast, the risk for people who do not have a close relative with type 1 diabetes is around 0.4%.

Another known cause of type 1 diabetes is a rare condition called pancreatitis, which causes your pancreas to become inflamed, resulting in severe damage to the insulin-producing cells.