Diabetes among people with intellectual disabilities vs the general population: a register study
17th European Public Health Conference - Lisbon (Portugal), November 12-15, 2024
Emilie Stroh, Magnus Sandberg, Jimmie Kristensson, Anna Axmon
[Abstract in European Journal of Public Health] [Project main site]
People with intellectual disabilities have an increased risk of diabetes mellitus (DM). They tend to develop it at earlier ages than the general population, resulting in even higher risks in younger people. However, few studies have separated Type 1 and Type 2 DM. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence of different types of DM in different age groups in relation to the general population. We categorized all people in Skåne, Sweden, as ID (service and support for people with ID and/or autism, or a diagnosis of ID or Down syndrome; n = 14 716) or general population (gPop; excluding family members of people in ID; n = 1 226 955). Data regarding diagnoses of Type 1 (E10 in ICD-10) and Type 2 (E11) DM were collected for 2014-2021. Age at inclusion (i.e., 2014) was considered as children (0-12 years), adolescents (13-18), young adults (19-24), adults (25-44), lower middle-age (45-54), upper middle-age (55-64), older people (65+). The overall prevalence of Type 1 DM was 2.3% in ID and 1.6% in gPop (relative risk [RR] 2.14, 95% confidence interval 1.93-2.38). In ID, the prevalence was below 2% in the youngest age groups, and then increased with age until upper middle-age, where it reached 6.0%. The risk of Type 1 DM among people with ID compared to gPop was relatively stable, with the RR ranging between 1.16 (older people) to 2.83 (adults). For Type 2 DM, the overall prevalence was 7.2% in ID and 7.8% in gPop (RR 2.00, 1.89-2.13). There was a consistent age-related increase in prevalence in ID, from 0.3% among children to 27.4% among older people. The opposite pattern was found for the risk compared to gPop, with the higher risks (RR 3.63-6.98) in the younger age groups and lower risks (RR 1.27-4.41) in the older age groups. Both types of DM were more prevalent among people with intellectual disabilities than in the general population. However, the patterns of prevalence and risk compared to the general population differed for the two types.
Key messages
- People with intellectual disabilities have increased risk of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
- Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus displays different age patterns among people with intellectual disabilities.
Research group
Associate professor Magnus Sandberg (PI for IDcare)
Associate professor Anna Axmon (PI for the covid follow-up study)
Professor Ulf Gerdtham
Associate professor Jimmie Kristensson
Collaborations
Ass prof Julia Bahner, Lund University, Sweden
Dr Trine Lise Bakken, Oslo University Hospital, Norway [prevalence of schizophrenia]
Dr Petra Björne, City of Malmö, Sweden
Prof Darren Chadwick, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
Prof David Edvardsson, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia [dementia]
Prof Kristina Edvardsson, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia [pregnancy outcomes]
Dr Karin Engström, Lund University, Sweden
Dr Hanna Falk Erhag, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Dr Alessandra Grotta, Stockholm University, Sweden
Ass prof Björn Hofvander, Lund University, Sweden
Prof Silke Kern, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Dr Katarina Lauruschkus, Lund University, Sweden
Dr Can Liu, Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Prof Yona Lunsky, University of Toronto, Canada
Ass prof Hugo Lövheim, Umeå University, Sweden [dementia]
Dr Emilie Stroh, Lund University, Sweden [care transitioning] [diabetes]