The role of dietary factors in the development of autoimmune diabetes in adults and children: data from three population-based cohorts

Diabetes is a chronic disease and patients are at high risk of severe complications and mortality.

The incidence of autoimmune diabetes is increasing alarmingly; childhood type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Europe increases by 3% annually. This increase is most likely explained by changes in environmental or lifestyle risk factors, such as diet. A role of diet has been implicated in childhood T1D but no risk factors have been firmly established.

Regarding adult onset autoimmune diabetes, studies on diet are rare.

The overall objective of this project is to contribute with new knowledge on the role of diet in the etiology of autoimmune diabetes.My doctoral thesis was the first to address diet in relation to autoimmune diabetes in adults and several potentially important associations were identified. However, confirmations are needed, and many factors remain to be explored.

Based on proposed mechanisms and previous findings in children, this project will focus on influence of consumption of fish, coffee, red meat, and dairy on the risk of autoimmune diabetes, including interaction with genetic factors and underlying mechanisms.This project is an international collaboration with data from three unique sources covering different populations, geographical regions, and age groups; the Swedish ESTRID Study (n=5,000), the European EPIC-InterAct study (n=26,000), and the Swedish ABIS birth cohort (n=17,000 children).

For adult onset autoimmune diabetes, this is the world’s largest l (>1,000 incident cases) and most detailed material for studies on dietary risk factors, with questionnaire data on diet and lifestyle, nutritional biomarkers, clinical and genetic factors.There is an urgent need for preventive actions but these require knowledge on modifiable risk factors.

This project has unique opportunities for novel findings on the role of diet in the etiology of autoimmune diabetes, thereby increasing possibilities for prevention which would benefit both the individual and society.