Young age and severe disease at presentation are associated with decreased residual beta-cells function that is reflected by a lower incidence of partial remission. These observations are important to consider in the research regarding therapies that will have the potential goal to induce prolonged and/or complete remission at disease onset or shortly thereafter.

Our study provides recent data on Middle Eastern population, for whom data are sparse. Although it has significantly decreased, the frequency of DKA at presentation of T1DM in children in Kuwait is still high, secondary to the high prevalence of diabetes in the community. Young children, especially those less than 2 yr old remain at high risk. Increasing the general awareness of the public as well as of pediatricians to the disease may lead to early diagnosis before the development of acidosis.