Strictly speaking, there are no effective preventive measures for type 1 diabetes, but early detection and intervention can be achieved through genetic screening and other means.
There are more than 50 genes associated with type 1 diabetes, with the human leukocyte antigen HLA-DQ and HLA-DR having the most significant impact. If there is already someone in the family with type 1 diabetes, other relatives, especially in the immediate family, can be considered for genetic screening and regular review at a later date for timely detection and management, but it does not inherently prevent the development of type 1 diabetes.
In addition to genetic factors, environmental factors are also very important in the development of type 1 diabetes. Studies have found that type 1 diabetes is strongly associated with viral infections, chemicals, and immune factors, and that the incidence of enterovirus infections is 10 times higher in patients than in the general population. So avoiding intestinal viral infections may help prevent type 1 diabetes.
In addition, gluten intolerance causes an immune response in the digestive tract, and a gluten-free diet may slow the progression of diabetes. Early exposure to milk protein may accelerate the progression of type 1 diabetes because the molecular structure of milk’s clear proteins and islet β-cell surface proteins are similar, and people with clear protein intolerance may experience an antigen-antibody immune response that leads to β-cell attack and triggers an islet autoimmune response. Choosing a gluten-free diet and exposing the child to milk at an older age may also help.