Screening children for type 1 diabetes

Abstract

Insulin was discovered in 1921, turning a death sentence into a chronic condition, and 100 years later it is still the only treatment for type 1 diabetes. But new approaches are emerging that offer children with this condition a different trajectory.

Are we ready to screen for type 1 diabetes? A structured worldwide survey among healthcare providers involved in paediatric diabetes care

“…However, recent approval of therapies capable of delaying T1D progression 1,2 highlights the need for early diagnosis among both first-degree relatives of people with T1D (PwD), that is, the at-risk paediatric population (ARPP), and the general paediatric population (GPP). 3,4 Before broader screening programs are implemented, assessing the attitudes of those involved would be informative. While the surveys of parents of T1D children and general paediatricians have been published, 5 surveys of healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in diabetes care from both high-and low-income countries have not previously been performed.…”

What does the licensing of teplizumab mean for diabetes care?

“…In common, these general population screening programmes seek to assess feasibility, acceptability and cost effectiveness, and optimize autoantibody assays across different healthcare systems. Importantly, the optimal method for screening has yet to be determined, in terms of strategy (IAb alone or combined with genetic risk score), method of IAb sampling (dried blood spot vs. capillary vs. venous whole blood) and timing of IAb testing (single or multiple time points) 19,44,45 . Adoption of a national screening programme will require many of the original screening criteria proposed by Wilson and Jungner to be addressed, and the evidence is building (Table 2).…”

Civilization diseases in childhood – state-of-the- art literature review

“…Anti-pancreatic antibodies destroy the beta cells of the pancreas that produce insulin, leading to the lack of insulin in the body. In developed countries, this disease usually occurs sporadically [21]. However, its incidence in children aged 1 -7 years has increased recently.…”