Diabetes Awareness Month – What causes Diabetes

With November being diabetes awareness month, we’d like to bring you a little information on how people get diabetes in Americans today.

The causes of Diabetes vary depending on your genetic makeup, family history, ethnicity, health and environmental factors. Because everyone is different, there technically is no one common diabetes cause that fits every type of diabetes. For example, the causes of type 1 diabetes vary considerably from the causes of gestational diabetes. Similarly, the causes of type 2 diabetes are distinct from the causes of type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is caused by the immune system destroying the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. This causes diabetes by leaving the body without enough insulin to function normally. This is called an autoimmune reaction, or autoimmune cause, because the body is attacking itself.

There is no specific diabetes causes, but the following triggers may be involved:

• Viral or bacterial infection
• Chemical toxins within food
• Unidentified component causing autoimmune reaction

Underlying genetic disposition may also be a type 1 diabetes cause.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes causes are usually multifactorial – more than one diabetes cause is involved. Often, the most overwhelming factor is a family history of type 2 diabetes. This is the most likely type 2 diabetes cause.

There are a variety of risk factors for type 2 diabetes, any or all of which increase the chances of developing the condition.

These include:

• Obesity
• Living a sedentary lifestyle
• Increasing age
• Bad diet

Other type 2 diabetes causes such as pregnancy or illness can be type 2 diabetes risk factors.

Still looking for answers about diabetes? Talk to your doctor for more information.