In a report presenting data from 1989±1990 from 26 registries in the EURODIAB Study Group, we showed that an exceptionally wide range of incidence rates for Type I diabetes exists within Europe [1]. New research and reviews, including the EURODI-AB Study Group's recent report on the years 1989±1994, indicate that there has been a rapid increase in the incidence of Type I diabetes in many European countries in the last few decades with a higher rate of increase among children under 5 years of age [2±8]. This increase, in conjunction with the relatively low concordance rate in monozygotic twin pairs, highlights the importance of environmental factorsThis report, based on 10 years of prospective registration by the EURODIAB Study Group, updates the knowledge on the epidemiology of childhood diabetes in Europe. Particular attention is given to an analysis of age-specific, secular trends in different parts of Europe. Diabetologia (2001) Results. The standardised average annual incidence rate of Type I diabetes varied more than tenfold between centres. Overall, the annual increase in incidence was 3.2 % (95 %-CI: 2.7 %, 3.7 %), being highest for children in the 0±4-year age-group 4.8 % (3.8 %, 5.9 %) and lowest for children in the 10±14-year age group 2.1 % (1.4 %, 2.8 %). However, the absolute increases in Type I diabetes were roughly similar in the three age-groups of 0±4, 5±9 and 10±14 years. Central Eastern Europe showed the highest increase whereas Sardinia and Northern Europe (except Finland) showed no evidence of an increase. For all age-groups relatively fewer cases had disease onset during the summer months, especially the 10±14-year age-group. Conclusion/interpretation. The extremely large range of incidence rates within Europe has been confirmed. The incidence rate is generally increasing but is more pronounced in some regions than in others. Seasonality at disease onset is apparent even in the youngest agegroup. [Diabetologia (2001)

No abstract

No abstract

There is no association between Type 1 diabetes mellitus and birth weight in this study. Furthermore, variables related to birth weight and length cannot explain why some pairs are concordant while other remain discordant.

No abstract

The EURODIAB (EUROpe and DIABetes) research activities on the epidemiology and prevention of diabetes were established in 1988 as a European Community Concerted Action initative under the Fourth Medical and Health Research Programme [1, 2]. As part of the EURODIAB programme, a collaborative network was established to characterise the epidemiology and aetiopathogenesis of Type I (insulindependent) diabetes mellitus. These research activities, subsumed under EURODIAB Sub-area A, were subsequently continued as separate concerted actions under the acronyms EURODIAB ACE (Aetiological Contribution to Type I diabetes on an Epidemiological basis), 1992±1996, and EURODIAB TIGER (Type I Genetic Epidemiology Resource), 1996±1999.EURODIAB research on childhood diabetes has been carried out through a network of partners, with a central co-ordinating office located in Odense, Denmark. The working modalities have comprised standardised procedures and protocols, collaboration with centralised laboratory facilities, workshops, site visits and meetings, newsletters as well as a series of grant programmes to facilitate research training and development.The core activities involved establishing a network for the registration of newly diagnosed children with Type I diabetes in geographically well-defined regions within Europe. Starting with 26 partners in 1989, the network had 44 centres contributing fully or partly to the incidence registration by mid-1999. The corresponding population coverage represents about 30 million children and most European nations. This has allowed a characterisation of the geographical distribution of Type I diabetes as well as investigations into temporal trends in incidence [3±7].Within the framework of the network, partnerships, formed to address research in related areas, have produced new information on familial and genetic factors, clinical characteristics at disease onset and possible associations between childhood Type I diabetes and other diseases as well as insights and possible non-genetic determinants [8±16]. Numerous additional publications from the individual network partners, whose data and results have emerged partly through the collaboration, have appeared over the years.This TIGER Supplement marks 10 years of the EURODIAB collaboration on Type I diabetes, a time when the series of contracts with the European Commission is also coming to an end. It contains new data and results from the study group as well as papers from individual network partners. It has been produced to illustrate the importance of applying epidemiological methodology in the continuous research efforts to unravel the causes and pathogenesis of Type I diabetes. The results testify to the potential that exists in Europe for this kind of research. The huge geographical variability in the distribution of the disease as well as the distinct features of trends in the incidence emerge from the accumulated data.An epidemiological approach and the continued monitoring of the incidence of Type I diabetes in network activities l...