Epidemiology of type 1 diabetes among Silesian children aged 0–14 years, 1989–2005

Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate the present Polish incidence rate of diabetes mellitus type 1 in children aged 0-14. The research was conducted between 1989 and 2005 among the children of Upper Silesia region (Poland), being the part of the EURODIAB program, according to all criteria of this project. During this period, 1,385 new cases (720 boys) of diabetes mellitus type 1 were recognized. The analysis of the standardized incidence rates performed after dividing into shorter periods (1989-1994, 1995-1999, 2000-2005) showed a sharp increase from 5.80/10(5)/year through 9.54/10(5)/year to 15.26/10(5)/year, respectively, in the periods. Analysis of age subgroups showed the greatest increase in the incidence rate among the younger children: 3.59 times for children aged 0-4, 3.40 times for children aged 5-9 and 2.08 times for children aged 10-14. No significant difference of incidence rate between boys and girls was established. Such high increase of incidence rate of diabetes mellitus type 1 (above 260%) noted since 1989 shows a secular trend of an epidemic of diabetes mellitus type 1 in Poland and a conversion from countries with the lower incidence rates in Europe to the countries with the highest incidence rates.

Rapid increase in the incidence of type 1 diabetes in Polish children from 1989 to 2004, and predictions for 2010 to 2025

“…Current studies [8, 19] indicate considerable change in this classification, grouping Poland with countries that have medium type 1 diabetes incidence, i.e. above 15 cases per 100,000 persons per year.…”

The incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus among 15-34 years aged Lithuanian population: 18-year incidence study based on prospective databases

“…The rising incidence of type 1 diabetes globally suggests the need for continuous monitoring of incidence by using standardized methods in order to plan or assess prevention strategies [7]. Epidemiological studies of type 1 diabetes mellitus in the Baltic Sea Basin population are important because of the large variation in childhood onset diabetes incidence recorded over the region [8,25-27]. The average of 24-year (1983-2007) type 1 diabetes incidence rates among 0-4, 5-9, 10-14, and all 0-14-year-aged Lithuanian children was 4.9, 9.1, 11.4, and 8.8 per 100,000 persons per year, respectively (5.3, 7.8, 12.2, 8.6 and 4.6, 10.3, 11.7, 8.4 per 100,000 persons per year among boys and girls, respectively).…”

“…Therefore more by hypothetical than by objective reasons countries and study regions with well established registries are divided in very high, high, intermediate and low type 1 incident populations [7,48]. As almost all the countries of Central Europe, Lithuania with the incidence rate of type 1 diabetes among 0-14-year-aged children falls into the group of territories with intermediate incidence rates [7,25]. In lack of worldwide incidence data about type 1 diabetes in adulthood, we only can suppose, that incidence rates of type 1 diabetes in young adults comparing with other countries probably in Lithuania may be approximately the same.…”

Minimal incidence of neonatal/infancy onset diabetes in Italy is 1:90,000 live births

“…These higher incidence rates can be attributed to the adoption of the new limit of 6 months of age for diagnosing neonatal/infancy onset diabetes and are not comparable to the increased incidence observed for type 1 diabetes, even of very early onset (i.e. 0–4 years) [13]. …”