Stressful and traumatic events during childhood may triple a person's likelihood of developing Type 1 diabetes (T1D), a new study suggests.
Researchers from Sweden's Linkoping University say children who witness pivotal traumatic events, such as the divorce or separation of parents, death of a loved one, presence of a new adult in their lives, and episodes of conflict within the home, face a higher risk of developing the disease.
The researchers examined 10,495 families that had children who were between two years old and 14 years old and who did not have T1D before data collection began. From this sample, 58 children eventually developed T1D.
The aim of the study was to uncover whether, in the first 14 years of a child's life, psychological stress from these traumatic events and lack of social support played a role in triggering the disease. It also studied the parents' perception of stress associated with childrearing. To measure psychological stress, the researchers issued questionnaires to the parents, tackling crucial life events and the stress, worries and social support that parents have.
"This first prospective study concludes that the experience of a serious life event (reasonably indicating psychological stress) during the first 14 years of life may be a risk factor for developing type 1 diabetes," the researchers wrote.
While the actual cause of T1D is still unknown, experts agree that both genetics and environment play a role in its onset. A person's DNA may lead to his or her own immune system to attack the beta cells found in the pancreas, the organ responsible for producing insulin.
Other influences believed to contribute to the development of T1D are one's diet during infancy, birthweight and early weight gain, and also the experience of viral infection and even chronic stress.
One hypothesis posits that children - whose DNA already indicates a predisposition to developing T1D - may experience increased insulin resistance, as seen in beta cell stress, when they are exposed to traumatic events.
Another scenario suggests that children may suffer from an overall imbalance in their immune system due to chronic stress, as evidenced by higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn forces beta cells to release more insulin. The increased production of insulin may signal to the immune system that something abnormal is taking place, prompting an attack on the beta cells.
The rising incidence of T1D among children in many countries is prompting a re-evaluation of possible environmental factors, including a child's experience of psychological stress, that lead to the development of the disease.
The complete study may be downloaded through Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
