Type 1 diabetes not due to genetics only but environment also: Lancet

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, immune-mediated disease characterised by the destruction of insulin-producing cells. Standardised registry data show that type 1 diabetes incidence has increased 3–4% over the past three decades, supporting the role of environmental factors.Scientists and researchers have struggled to identify a direct cause. Many have questioned if changes in the environment or lifestyle have impacted the disease.

In a newly released review paper published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, faculty from the Colorado School of Public Health at the Anschutz Medical Campus examined whether any environmental exposures can explain why type 1 diabetes is on the rise. “The incidence of type 1 diabetes has increased 3 percent per year over the past three decades. This increase is too rapid to be due to genetic factors, suggesting that environmental factors may play a role,” said Jill Norris, MPH, PhD, professor, and chair of epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health and lead author of the paper.

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