Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 14, 2026
A High-Throughput Multiplexed Screening for Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Diseases, and COVID-19
Published on: July 5, 2022
Chronic comorbidities in children with type 1 diabetes: a population-based cohort study
Soulmaz Fazeli Farsani1, Patrick C Souverein1, Marja M J van der Vorst2
1Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Objective:
To determine the incidence of chronic comorbidities among children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and to compare incidences with a group of children without diabetes.
Design:
Population-based cohort study.
Setting:
Dutch PHARMO database (1998-2010).
Patients:
All patients (<19 years old) with T1D between 1999 and 2009 (T1D cohort) and a group of age- and sex-matched (ratio: 1-4) children without diabetes (reference cohort).
Main Outcome Measure:
The incidence of nine common chronic comorbidities was assessed on the basis that they were treated pharmacologically and/or resulted in hospital admission. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to estimate the strength of the association between T1D and comorbidities, expressed as HRs and 95% CIs.
Results:
A total of 915 patients with T1D and 3590 children in the reference cohort (51% boys, mean age of 10.1 (SD 4.5) years) were included. T1D was associated with an increased risk (HR; 95% CI) of hospitalisation for any comorbidity (3.7; 2.5 to 5.5), thyroid disease (14.2; 6.7 to 31.0), non-infectious enteritis and colitis (5.9; 3.0 to 11.5), cardiovascular disorders (3.1; 2.3 to 4.2), mental disorders (2.0; 1.4 to 3.1), epilepsy (2.0; 1.1 to 3.7) and (obstructive) pulmonary disease (1.5; 1.2 to 2.0). There was no significant difference in the incidences of other comorbidities (malignant disorders, anaemia and migraine) between the two cohorts.
Conclusions:
Our longitudinal study showed that incidences of six chronic diseases were significantly higher in T1D children during the early years of developing this disease compared with the reference children.
