| Associated Conditions: MAIN MENU | |
| Diabetes |
 Hello, I am Janey Willis, ISN Guide to Diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease, and Type 2 Diabetes is caused by risk factors such as lifestyle, ethnicity, age, and pregnancy. The majority of people with diabetes are Type 2. This page has not yet been medically edited. Just because something is listed here does not mean an individual patient will ever experience it. See Disclaimer. | |
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Causes of Diabetes |
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| Overview of the Causes of Diabetes |
| Causes of diabetes includes genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes include obesity, inactivity, poor diet, age, ethnicity, and pregnancy. |
| Causes of Type 1 Diabetes. Both genetic factors and your life experiences and exposures (called environmental factors) seem to be involved in causing this disease. InteliHealth. |
| Type 2 Diabetes: Causes and Risk Factors. The exact causes of type 2 diabetes aren’t completely understood, but it is known that the disease has a strong hereditary component. Environmental factors like an inactive lifestyle or poor diet may act as a trigger for someone with a genetic tendency towards type 2 diabetes. Other potential causes of type 2 include chronic stress, low birth weight (and associated fetal malnourishment), and gene mutations. (LifeMed Media) dLife. 02/02/10. |
| Antibodies |
| T-Cell Costimulation — Biology, Therapeutic Potential, and Challenges. CTLA-4 is involved in the induction and maintenance of T-cell tolerance. CTLA-4 polymorphisms in humans have been linked to susceptibility to autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes and autoimmune thyroid disease. The New England Journal of Medicine. Vol 355:973-975,10. 09/07/06. (Also see: Causes of Scleroderma: T-Cells and Thyroid Disease) |
| Rheumatoid arthritis gene link proven. The gene PTPN22 has been confirmed as one of the factors that cause rheumatoid arthritis by University of Otago researchers. PTPN22, is also over-represented in people with Type 1 diabetes and thyroiditis, providing extra evidence it is a causal factor in autoimmune diseases generally. Scoop NZ 07/04/05. (Also see: Rheumatoid Arthritis and Thyroid Disease) |
| Environmental Factors |
| Type 1 Diabetes - Worldwide Study Looks To Find Causes. Scientists are casting a wide, tightly woven net with the goal of catching the causes of type 1diabetes. Our hope is to identify environmental factors that determine the risks for type 1 diabetes. Medical News Today 02/13/06. |
| Scientists Have Developed A Bright Idea For Detecting Zinc In The Body With Implications For Illnesses. A luminescent sensor for biomedical imaging can selectively detect the presence of zinc in the body. An imbalance of zinc occurs in humans suffering from illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Medical News Today. 07/28/06. |
| Vitamin D and calcium deficits predispose for multiple chronic diseases. In addition to skeletal disorders, calcium and vitamin D deficits increase the risk of malignancies, particularly of colon, breast and prostate gland, of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (e.g. insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), multiple sclerosis), as well as of metabolic disorders (metabolic syndrome, hypertension). PubMed. Eur J Clin Invest. 2005 May;35(5):290-304. (Also see: Multiple Sclerosis and IBD) |
| Genetics |
| Shared and Distinct Genetic Variants in Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease. A genetic susceptibility to both type 1 diabetes and celiac disease shares common alleles. These data suggest that common biologic mechanisms, such as autoimmunity-related tissue damage and intolerance to dietary antigens, may be etiologic features of both diseases. (PubMed) DJ Smyth. N Engl J Med. Dec 10 2008. (Also see: Celiac Disease) |
| Largest-ever genetics study published. Among the discoveries are four chromosome regions containing genes that can increase risk of type one diabetes and three new genes for Crohn's disease. The researchers argue they have found for the first time a gene linking these two autoimmune diseases. Inthenews.co.uk. 06/06/07. (Also see: Crohn's Disease) |
| Scientists to unlock genes behind common serious illnesses. The biggest DNA analysis of whole human genomes will shed light on why some people are more at risk of developing a serious illness. They are examining 15,000 markers for genetic variations relating to another four diseases - breast cancer, autoimmune thyroid disease, multiple sclerosis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Guardian Unlimited. 04/14/07. (Also see: Causes of Scleroderma: Genetics,Thyroid Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis) |
| DeCode Finds Gene Linked To Diabetes. DeCode Genetics Incorporated said they found a gene that can double the risk of type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects at least 171 million people worldwide. New York Sun, 01/16/06. |
| Genetic Defects Give The Immune System The Green Light To Attack The Pancreas. The genetic defect keeps the body from properly dealing with "errant" immune cells that it normally eliminates by a process called immunological tolerance. Left unchecked, the self-destructive T-cells can roam throughout the body and wreak havoc. This is the process behind many autoimmune, or "self-immune," diseases such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and others. ScienceDaily. 05/29/05. |
| Physiological Factors |
| In Development Of Type 2 Diabetes, Fat Cells Play Key Role. Cellular changes in fat tissue - not the immune system - lead to the "hyperinflammation" characteristic of obesity-related glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC). Medical News Today. 07 Jul 2010. |
| Women with high or increasing blood pressure are up to three times more likely to develop diabetes. This effect was independent of body mass index and other conditions that are known to predispose people to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. EurekAlert! 10/09/07. |
| Viruses |
| Does HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) Cause Diabetes? It has been proven that hepatitis C causes insulin resistance, a pre-cursor to type II diabetes or diabetes mellitus (DM). However, it has not been proven that HCV causes diabetes. Australian Hepatitis C Support. 02/01/09. |
| Bad flu season linked to diabetes spike. Scientists don't know what causes type 1 diabetes but believe it is triggered by environmental factors, including viruses, in people who are genetically susceptible. So far, influenza A specifically has not been shown to trigger type 1 diabetes but other viruses like enteroviruses, which affect the gut immune system, have. ABC News Australia. 08/08/07. |
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