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. 2023 Mar 28;59(4):668.
doi: 10.3390/medicina59040668.

Changes in the Global Epidemiology of Type 1 Diabetes in an Evolving Landscape of Environmental Factors: Causes, Challenges, and Opportunities

Ioannis Ogrotis  1 , Theocharis Koufakis  2 , Kalliopi Kotsa  2
Affiliations

Changes in the Global Epidemiology of Type 1 Diabetes in an Evolving Landscape of Environmental Factors: Causes, Challenges, and Opportunities

Ioannis Ogrotis et al. Medicina (Kaunas). .

Abstract

The worldwide incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) has increased in recent decades. The reasons behind this phenomenon are not yet fully understood. Early life infections, prenatal and perinatal factors, and diet composition have been associated with the triggering of autoimmunity and the risk of presentation of T1DM. However, the rapid increase in new cases of the disease raises the hypothesis that lifestyle factors, which have traditionally been associated with type 2 diabetes, such as obesity and unhealthy eating patterns could also play a role in the genesis of autoimmune diabetes. This article aims to highlight the changing epidemiology of T1DM and the importance of properly recognizing the environmental factors behind it, as well as the connections with the pathogenesis of the disorder and the need to prevent or delay T1DM and its long-term complications.

Keywords: autoimmunity; environmental factors; epidemiology; type 1 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest relevant to the publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Factors related to the increasing incidence of T1DM.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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