Increase reported in autoimmune diseases such as diabetes

A new study has reported an increase in cases of autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, celiac disease and lupus.
Scientists at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention have backed up findings from the American Diabetes Associatio, which revealed that the incidence of type 1 diabetes rose by 23 per cent in the United States between 2001 and 2009. Previous studies have also shown that autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, which develops when the immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, can result from genetics and environmental factors.
This research also found that children and teenagers that have developed type 1 diabetes face a range of complications, including nerve damage, and that early signs of cardiovascular damage can push up the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease later in life.
It was argued that the most effective means of combatting the increase in autoimmune diseases was to carry out more research to offer a better understanding of those genetic and environmental risk factors. This will help to identify people at the highest risk and give the chance to reduce their exposures and prevent the development of the disease.
Virginia T. Ladd, president of the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Associatio, said “With the rapid increase in autoimmune diseases, it clearly suggests that environmental factors are at play due to the significant increase in these diseases. Genes do not change in such a short period of time.”