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Obesity, increased linear growth, and risk of type 1 diabetes in children
E Hyppönen1, S M Virtanen, M G Kenward
1School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Finland. elina.hypponen@uta.fi
Insights
Children who are heavier and taller are at increased risk for developing type 1 diabetes. Obesity and rapid growth in childhood are significant risk factors for type 1 diabetes development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Type 1 diabetes incidence is rising globally.
- Childhood obesity rates have also increased significantly.
- The relationship between growth patterns and type 1 diabetes risk requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess how obesity and linear growth influence the risk of type 1 diabetes in children.
- To identify specific growth parameters associated with increased type 1 diabetes risk.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study in Finland involving children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and matched controls.
- Growth data (weight and height) collected from health records for 586 diabetic and 571 control children.
- Analysis of 18,823 paired weight-height observations to correlate growth with diabetes risk.
Main Results:
- Children who developed type 1 diabetes were consistently heavier and taller than controls throughout childhood.
- A 10% increase in relative weight correlated with a 50-60% higher risk of type 1 diabetes before age 3, and 20-40% from age 3-10.
- Obesity (relative weight > 120%) after age 3 was linked to over a twofold increased risk of type 1 diabetes.
Conclusions:
- Obesity and accelerated linear growth are identified as significant risk factors for childhood type 1 diabetes.
- Increasing prevalence of childhood obesity and secular growth trends may contribute to the observed rise in type 1 diabetes incidence worldwide.
Objective:
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of obesity and linear growth on the risk of developing type 1 diabetes in children.
Research Design And Methods:
The study population consists of all diabetic children <15 years of age diagnosed from September 1986 to April 1989 in Finland and their birth date- and sex-matched population-based control subjects. Growth data were obtained from well-baby clinics and school health care units for 586 diabetic and 571 control subjects, resulting in a total of 18,823 paired weight-height observations.
Results:
Both boys and girls who developed type 1 diabetes were heavier and taller throughout childhood than control children. A 10% unit increment in relative weight was associated with a 50-60% increase in the risk of type 1 diabetes before 3 years of age and a 20-40% increase from 3 to 10 years of age. The increase in risk of type 1 diabetes for 1 SD score increment in relative height was 20-30%. Obesity (relative weight > 120%) after 3 years of age was associated with a more than twofold risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
Conclusions:
The present observation that obesity and rapid linear growth are risk factors for type 1 diabetes in children indicates that the increase in the prevalence of obesity and secular growth that has occurred in most industrialized countries over the last decades may be involved in the increase in type 1 diabetes incidence simultaneously observed in many countries.