International Diabetes Center > Disease Information > Type 1 Diabetes > Risk factors for type 1 diabetes

Risk factors for type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune means that the body attacks its own cells. In type 1 diabetes, the body attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Everyone who develops type 1 diabetes is genetically predisposed to it. A genetic predisposition, however, does not guarantee that the disease will occur. Scientists do not know exactly why this is. They do know that the autoimmune response that leads to type 1 diabetes must be triggered by an environmental factor, such as a viral infection, for the disease process to begin.

Relatives of people with type 1 diabetes have a slightly increased risk of developing the disease. For example, the children of people with type 1 diabetes have a 2 percent to 5 percent chance of developing it themselves. The risk for parents, sisters and brothers of people with type 1 diabetes is about 5 percent. The risk for a twin is higher.

About one in 300 people in the United States develops type 1 diabetes. At this time, type 1 diabetes is neither preventable nor curable.

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