Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease, is caused by a problem in the immune system where it attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, resulting in little or no insulin production. Because people with type 1 diabetes have insufficient insulin, they must receive it through injections for life.

Type 1 diabetes can also be triggered by genetic factors, along with stress and trauma. Accounting for approximately 10% of diabetes cases in the population, type 1 diabetes typically presents in childhood, although it can affect people of all ages.