Study by the Chair of Epidemiology shows: Type 1 diabetes continues to increase among children and adolescents in Bavaria

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood and adolescence. A research team from the Chair of Epidemiology, led by Prof. Dr. Stefanie Klug, investigated how the number of new cases has developed in Bavaria. The analysis shows a long-term increase in incidence between 2012 and 2021. However, no clear effect of the COVID-19 pandemic could be demonstrated. The study “Increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents from 2012 to 2021 in Germany: trends before and during the COVID-19 pandemic” has now been published in the European Journal of Epidemiology. The journal has an impact factor of 6.6.

The study is based on anonymized routine data from the Bavarian Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (Kassenärztliche Vereinigung Bayerns, KVB). The data include all children and adolescents up to the age of 19 who are covered by statutory health insurance. In total, more than 5,700 new cases were included in the analysis. In addition to the scientific findings, the research team particularly emphasizes the value of the data used. “Only a small number of research institutions have access to a data basis that covers almost the entire population of Bavaria with statutory health insurance,” explains Prof. Dr. Klug. “Although these routine data were not originally collected for research purposes, they enable us to reliably track a wide range of developments over many years and, in turn, provide valuable evidence for health policy decisions.”

“There is currently no ‘diabetes registry’ in Bavaria. As a result, the long-term data situation is comparatively weak,” explains Dr. Gunther Schauberger, research associate at the Chair of Epidemiology. “The KVB data are particularly valuable to us because they provide a consistent data basis over many years. This allows us to identify developments that would be difficult to observe based on individual surveys alone. For the planning of clinical studies involving children who have recently been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, for example, it is crucial to know how many cases occur each year. Our work provides a reliable data basis for this for the first time.”

Over the entire study period, the number of new cases of type 1 diabetes increased continuously. This trend was observed in both boys and girls, although boys were affected more frequently overall. The increase was particularly pronounced among boys aged zero to four years and girls aged 15 to 19 years. “The analyses from our study show that type 1 diabetes continues to represent a growing public health problem,” says Carolin Lehner, first author of the study and doctoral researcher at the Chair of Epidemiology.

In addition to the long-term development, the research team also investigated whether the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the number of diagnoses. For example, it was conceivable that fewer diagnoses were made during the lockdowns because medical visits did not take place or the provision of healthcare changed. “We wanted to find out whether there had been gaps in healthcare during the pandemic and whether this had resulted in diagnoses initially being missed or being made at a later stage,” explains Schauberger. “However, we do not see any such gap in healthcare provision in our data.” Although individual age groups showed short-term changes, no clear break in the long-term trend could be identified overall.

While the study does not provide an explanation for why type 1 diabetes is becoming more common, the researchers believe it highlights the need for further research into its causes. “The factors underlying the increase in new cases are the subject of intensive research,” says Schauberger. “Our findings demonstrate how important it is to continue investigating the causes and underlying mechanisms and thereby deepen our understanding of the development of type 1 diabetes.”

To the Homepage of the Chair of Epidemiology
To the study: “Increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents from 2012 to 2021 in Germany: trends before and during the COVID-19 pandemic”

Contact

Prof. Dr. Stefanie Klug
Chair of Epidemiology
Am Olympiacampus 11
80809 Munich

Tel.: +49 89 289 24950
E-mail: sekretariat.klug.epidemiologie(at)mh.tum.de

Dr. Gunther Schauberger
Chair of Epidemiology
Am Olympiacampus 11
80809 Munich
Tel.: +49 89 289 24955
E-mail: gunther.schauberger(at)tum.de

Text: Bastian Daneyko
Photos: Private