Is being overweight early in life a risk factor for early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in children and, if so, does it explain the increase in T1D incidence during the Covid pandemic?

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common disease among children in Sweden and the incidence has doubled in recent decades. Numerous studies have reported an even higher incidence of T1D during the Covid Pandemic.

The etiology is mostly unknown, but growing prevalence of obesity in childhood offers a plausible explanation, which has also been shown in many studies, but not all.

In addition, there are no studies that concider all confunders, such as birth weight, maternal factors, and maternal diabetes.

We want to study if children with high BMI early have an increased risk for T1D and if it can explain the marked increased incidence during the Covid pandemic.

During 2022, SCB (on behalf of the Public Health Agency) gathered growth data from 1.5 and 4-year olds, born between 2012-2019.These new unique growth data will be used to compare children with T1D to children in the same dataset who have not developed T1D.

The results will be combined with the Medical Birth Registry (MBR) to elucidate the confunders of maternal and intrauterine factors.

We will also have the possibility to analyze children with T1D for GWAS, using a genetic risk score (GRS2) developed for type 1 diabetes, trying to elucidate whether there is not only an association, but also a direct effect of a high BMI on the incidence.

It could imply that it could be possible to prohibit the development of T1D, perhaps to levels as 30-years ago, if the rate of overweight among children decreases.