Environmental Factors and the Risk of Developing Type 1 Diabetes—Old Disease and New Data

Abstract

The incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is increasing worldwide. The onset of T1D usually occurs in childhood and is caused by the selective destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic islet cells (β-cells) by autoreactive T cells, leading to insulin deficiency. Despite advanced research and enormous progress in medicine, the causes of T1D are still not fully understood. Therefore, an extensive online search for scientific research on environmental factors associated with diabetes and the identification of new factors of unexplained etiology has been carried out using the PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases. The search results were limited to the past 11 years of research and discovered 143 manuscripts published between 2011 and 2022. Additionally, 21 manuscripts from between 2000 and 2010 and 3 manuscripts from 1974 to 2000 were referenced for historical reference as the first studies showcasing a certain phenomenon or mechanism. More and more scientists are inclined to believe that environmental factors are responsible for the increased incidence of diabetes. Research results show that higher T1D incidence is associated with vitamin D deficiency, a colder climate, and pollution of the environment, as well as the influence of viral, bacterial, and yeast-like fungi infections. The key viral infections affecting the risk of developing T1DM are rubella virus, mumps virus, Coxsackie virus, cytomegalovirus, and enterovirus. Since 2020, i.e., from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more studies have been looking for a link between Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and diabetes development. A better understanding of the role of viral, bacterial, and yeast-like fungi infections related to the risk of T1DM in children and adolescents and the identification of new risk factors, especially those spread by the droplet route, is of great importance for people and families with diabetes.