Affecting an estimated 1.9 million Americans, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys the pancreas’ insulin-producing beta cells. After decades of research on the condition, we know that 300,000 people in the United States are currently at risk for developing type 1 diabetes (T1D), including those who have no family history of the condition. But now, there is a method of screening that can help detect T1D in its early stages, helping prevent serious medical complications and save lives.
How T1D develops
While the specific cause of T1D is unknown, both genetic and environmental factors are involved in its development. As part of the process, the body starts to produce autoantibodies, or abnormal antibodies that attack the body’s own tissues and organs. Criteria for diagnosing T1D include
