FED:Type 1 diabetes rates may be stabilising

AAP General News (Australia)
08-05-2010
FED:Type 1 diabetes rates may be stabilising

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By Julian Drape

CANBERRA, Aug 5 AAP - The incidence of Type 1 diabetes in children could be stabilising,
according to a new report into the disease.

New cases increased at an average rate of six per cent a year between 2000 and 2004,
but the second half of the decade showed no significant change.

"These figures suggest the incidence of Type 1 diabetes in children is stable at present,"

said Anne-Marie Waters, from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

"(However) while the results of the report are promising it is clear that there is
still much scope for improvement.

"Two Australian children are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes each day."

Australia remains in the top 10 developed countries in the world with the highest rates
of the disease.

In total, there were more than 8000 new cases of Type 1 diabetes in children aged under
14 between 2000 and 2008.

Doctors don't know exactly what causes diabetes but say its rapid spread in recent
decades suggests environmental rather than genetic factors are at play.

Associate Professor Maria Craig, a pediatrician who specialises in diabetes at the
University of NSW, warns against reading too much into the AIHW's latest figures.

She says the apparent stabilisation could be due to natural variation.

"It would be wonderful if what we're seeing is a tailing off but only time will really
tell that," Assoc Prof Craig told AAP.

While it might be too early to confirm a plateauing, the latest figures do at least
indicate there hasn't been a spike in Type 1 cases.

"It is quite promising that we're not seeing an exponential trend that was reported
in Finland two years ago," Assoc Prof Craig said.

"They reported an ongoing upward trend over 40 years and then a more recent exponential
rise. It's very reassuring that we're not seeing that here (in Australia)."

Research suggests viruses, vitamin D deficiency and obesity are the most likely environmental
culprits for the growing incidence of Type 1 diabetes in recent decades.

An increasing obsession with hygiene means children's immune systems aren't as challenged
in their early years as they used to be.

A lack of vitamin D could also play a role, with children exposed to less sun by sun
smart parents.

There's also some evidence to suggest obesity in early childhood could stress insulin
producing cells, contributing to diabetes development.

Assoc Prof Craig says the possible stabilisation of new cases could be linked to changes
in environmental factors.

Vitamin D deficiency and increasing obesity can be ruled out though. They are influential
early in life so any change wouldn't have flowed through to diabetes rates yet.

"So it then comes to down to viruses," Assoc Prof Craig said.

"There could be an association with a decreasing prevalence of viruses that are known
to trigger diabetes."

AAP jcd/jel/apm

KEYWORD: DIABETES (EMBARGOED)

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