Question 3: How Genetics and Environmental Factors Contribute to Type 1 DM

Question 3: How Genetics and Environmental Factors Contribute to Type 1 DM

Type 1 DM results from autoimmune destruction of pancreatic cells. It is estimated that 50% of the affected individuals have a hereditary genetic predisposition, as witnessed by the fragility at chromosome 6p21 and the insulin gene found in chromosome 11p15 (Blanter et al., 2019). In addition to this predisposition, the affected individuals may be triggered by environmental factors such as obesity and viral infection, leading to the development of diabetes mellitus, especially in the younger population (Nigro et al., 2018).