
July 29, 2003
Research: Causes and Prevention
Question from San Diego, California, USA:
Some years ago, my friend and his daughter were kidnapped for several hours, then released, and shortly thereafter, his daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. There is no family history of this disease.Could this event be the cause of her diabetes?
Answer:
There is a general relationship between severe stress and the onset of type 1 diabetes, and it is certainly possible that a kidnapping situation would qualify as severe stress. However, there are many other possibilities including genetic predisposition that would likely be more important. All of them are extremely difficult to pinpoint without detailed research study participation including antibody and genetic testing. It would be reasonable to ask this question to the child’s diabetes specialists since they would be best equipped to answer.
SB