Studies from D.J. Pettitt et al add new findings in the area of type 2 diabetes
December 22nd, 2008
2008 DEC 22 -- "The purpose of this study was to examine age of diabetes diagnosis in youth who have a parent with diabetes by diabetes type and whether the parent's diabetes was diagnosed before or after the youth's birth. The cohort comprised SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study participants (diabetes diagnosis 2001-2005) with a diabetic parent," scientists writing in the journal Diabetes Care report.
"SEARCH is a multicenter survey of youth with diabetes diagnosed before age 20 years. Youth with type 2 diabetes were more likely to have a parent with either type I or type 2 diabetes (mother 39.3%; father 21.2%) than youth with type 1 diabetes (5.3 and 6.7%, respectively, P< 0.001 for each). Type 2 diabetes was diagnosed 1.68 years earlier among those exposed to diabetes in utero (n = 174) than among those whose mothers' diabetes was diagnosed later (P = 0.018, controlled for maternal diagnosis age, paternal diabetes, sex, and race/ethnicity). Age at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes for 269 youth with and without in utero exposure did not differ significantly (difference 0.96 year, P = 0.403 after adjustment). Controlled for the father's age of diagnosis, father's diabetes before the child's birth was not associated with age at diagnosis (P = 0.078 for type 1 diabetes; P = 0.140 for type 2 diabetes). Type 2 diabetes was diagnosed at younger ages among those exposed to hyperglycemia in utero. Among youth with type I diabetes, the effect of the intrauterine exposure was not significant when controlled for mother's age of diagnosis," wrote D.J. Pettitt and colleagues.
The researchers concluded: "This study helps explain why other studies have found higher age-specific rates of type 2 diabetes among offspring of women with diabetes."
Pettitt and colleagues published their study in Diabetes Care (Association Between Maternal Diabetes in Utero and Age at Offspring's Diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 2008;31(11):2126-2130).
Additional information can be obtained by contacting D.J. Pettitt, Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
The publisher of the journal Diabetes Care can be contacted at: American Diabetes Association, 1701 N Beauregard St., Alexandria, VA 22311-1717, USA.
Keywords: United States, Santa Barbara, Diabetes Care, Diabetes Diagnosis, Endocrinology, Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, Non-insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
This article was prepared by Diabetes Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2008, Diabetes Week via NewsRx.com.
