Make Health My Homepage
More Ways to Get Health!
gift newsletter igoogle healthyvoice

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Health's Top Stories
Get a weekly look at the most popular stories on Health.com.

Type 1 Diabetes


content provided by Healthwise

Cause

Type 1 diabetes develops because the body's immune system destroys the beta cells which are in the islet tissue in the pancreas Click here to see an illustration.. These beta cells produce insulin. So people with type 1 diabetes cannot make their own insulin.

You can inherit a tendency to develop type 1 diabetes, but most people who have the disease have no family history of it. Diabetes experts believe that a genetic tendency and some environmental factors may increase the risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Possible environmental factors include enteroviral infections—especially Coxsackie B infections.

Despite concerns about vaccines (particularly those against whooping cough and Haemophilus influenza B, or Hib), studies have not found a relationship between being vaccinated and developing type 1 diabetes.1



Last Updated: September 17, 2008
Author:
Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Medical Review:
Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine

Matthew I. Kim, MD - Endocrinology & Metabolism


© 1995-2009 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.



This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.

Advertisement