Type 1 diabetes affects adults too, researchers warn
The incidence of adult-onset disease is 'substantial' but rates vary widely, a systematic review finds
Despite popular belief that type-1 diabetes is a disease that starts in childhood, its onset in adults is substantial, US researchers report.
A review of population-based studies looking at adult-onset type 1 diabetes reveals incidence rates as high as 92.9 per 100,000 in certain groups of adults, according to findings published in Diabetes Care.
Researcher Dr Jessica Harding of Emory University in Atlanta said the findings showed the incidence of type 1 diabetes in adulthood was substantial and highlighted the pressing need to better distinguish it from type 2 diabetes to provide optimal care.
“Among studies that reported type 1 diabetes by age group, there was no obvious correlation between age and incidence,” Dr Harding said.
