Author Interviews, Diabetes, Infections / 20.10.2014
Enterovirus infection Linked to Increased Risk of Childhood Diabetes
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr Tsai Chung-Li
Graduate Institute of Biostatistics, College of Management, China
Medical University,Taichung, Taiwan and
Dr. Hsiao-Chuan Lin
Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, and
Department of Pediatrics,
China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?
Response: We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study that included two groups. Children with enterovirus infection (aged < 18 years) during 2000-2007 were identified and followed up until December 31, 2008 or until first occurrence of type 1 diabetes. The group without enterovirus infection comprised half of all insured children of the same age and without a diagnosis of enterovirus infection. By use of frequency-matching with sex and birth year, children in the group with enterovirus were selected from those eligible. This nationwide retrospective cohort study found:
- type 1 diabetes is positively correlated with enterovirus infection in patients younger than 18 years.
- the incidence rate of type 1 diabetes was lower in the non-enterovirus than the enterovirus group (4 vs 6 per 100,000 person-years; incidence rate ratio 1.48 [95% CI 1.19, 1.83]).
- children that have been infected with enterovirus are 48% more likely to have developed type 1 diabetes.
- the risk of developing type 1 diabetes is 2.18 times greater among children aged 10 years and older than among those aged younger than 1 year.