Are more people getting Type 1 in their late twenties and early thirties?

[Juicyj]

It's not a new thing IMO, I was 38 and had gestational diabetes which went when my daughter was born, then came on suddenly 3 years later as t1d, I don't think there's any relationship with age and t1d as hear of folk in their 60's who are diagnosed - as it's autoimmune it can strike anyone at any age.

 

[Nicola M]

I think it’s definitely a misconception that it’s mostly diagnosed in children. I think a lot more people who are diagnosed as children or adults who have children who are diagnosed are just more vocal than the adults who are diagnosed and given that social medial is bigger now than it used to be we hear from a lot more adults who are diagnosed. According to this article (published in 2017) more than 40% of people diagnosed with diabetes are adults, so there’s a lot more people than you think

Edited to add link to a word

 

[Ellington]

I was 65. Full blown T1, wham. The only good news about that is that I didn't have to deal with this tightrope existence all my life.
Some interesting points here: AI doesn't suggest that the age of onset of T1 is getting older but that the rate of incidence is increasing between 3-5% every year worldwide.
I have attributed by own diabetes to a strange virus I picked up in Africa. Interesting that people here have linked it to a very stressful event.

 

[Melgar]

I was 65. Full blown T1, wham. The only good news about that is that I didn't have to deal with this tightrope existence all my life.
Some interesting points here: AI doesn't suggest that the age of onset of T1 is getting older but that the rate of incidence is increasing between 3-5% every year worldwide.
I have attributed by own diabetes to a strange virus I picked up in Africa. Interesting that people here have linked it to a very stressful event.

@Ellington do not rely on AI , it regularly churns out incorrect / disinformation. That's why AI usage is against forum rules on the forum.

 

[KennyA]

Personally, I wouldn't trust anything generated by AI, particularly for something like this where definitions have changed and are changing, and the amount of rubbish about diabetes on the internet appears infinite.

Bilous and Donnelly in the Handbook of Diabetes (5th ed, published in 2021) say

A steady increase (2.5–3% per annum) in the incidence of type 1 diabetes has been reported worldwide, especially among young children <4 years old. There are large differences between countries in the incidence of type 1 diabetes, e.g up to 10‐fold differences among European countries.

I'd strongly suspect that a ten-fold difference between countries might have a lot more to do with failure to identify and diagnose than an actual incidence difference. If you're not actively looking for something it's probable you won't find it - so a system assumption that T1 is mostly diagnosed in children will be confirmed by the system only looking for T1 in children.

 

[JaneC]

There was a discussion on the “traumatic event” leading up to a T1 diagnosis.
When I was diagnosed as a kid. My mum thought it was “attributed” to a fall down a flight of stairs??

It is said it is an “autoimmune response attacking beta cells in the pancreas.

However. One thing came up for others in the discussion, ENT issues just prior. Tonsils & stuff?
Oddly, I did had issues with adenoids & was due for a procedure on them.
But first I was diagnosed with the usual a suspects. weight loss, frequent urination & excessive thirst & the symptoms of DKA..

That’s so interesting and have never heard the ENT thing before, I was diagnosed aged 26 a year post having my tonsils removed.

 

[kgbow]

I was diagnosed T1 at 51 years of age. I too believe it was due to trauma. My father died unexpectedly a year earlier and my mother did not take it well, I had to hold my grief in to look after her.

 

[JAT1]

I was diagnosed T1 at 63.

 

[Jaylee]

That’s so interesting and have never heard the ENT thing before, I was diagnosed aged 26 a year post having my tonsils removed.

Hi, hope you’re well..?

Yep. I was so geed up as a 7 year old dispute to go in for the procedure. That when I was pulled in for T1 (despite feeling total crud.) I thought this was what I was admitted for?

Then it was diabetic this with intermittent hushed tones then diabetic “that.”
Then learning with mother injecting an orange..
lol, about 9 days later my mum said “you have to do it on your own at some time. Might as well be now..”

 

[Melgar]

Interesting re the traumatic event triggering T1. An old colleague of mine was working with his long time work colleague. Whilst at work his colleague was shot dead in front of him. Obviously distraught and in shock he was put on stress leave. Within weeks he developed T1. He asked the endocrinologist treating him if the stress had brought on T1. The endo insisted it hadn't, but my colleague was convinced it did.

 

[Grant_Vicat]

Interesting re the traumatic event triggering T1. An old colleague of mine was working with his long time work colleague. Whilst at work his colleague was shot dead in front of him. Obviously distraught and in shock he was put on stress leave. Within weeks he developed T1. He asked the endocrinologist treating him if the stress had brought on T1. The endo insisted it hadn't, but my colleague was convinced it did.

My money is on your colleague @Melgar . For decades I was ridiculed for attributing my diagnosis to wasp stings, but now it is taken as a possibility.

 

[oldtypeone]

I was diagnosed type one on Christmas Eve 1980. I'd been very busy at work and under quite a lot of stress but I don't think that was the trigger. I had been experiencing the classic symptoms of hyperglycemia for several weeks. Extreme weight loss, unquenchable thirst tiredness. Life with type one was much more difficult in those days. I'm very grateful for the modern technology. Xx

 

[oldgreymare]

Personally, I wouldn't trust anything generated by AI, particularly for something like this where definitions have changed and are changing, and the amount of rubbish about diabetes on the internet appears infinite.

Bilous and Donnelly in the Handbook of Diabetes (5th ed, published in 2021) say

A steady increase (2.5–3% per annum) in the incidence of type 1 diabetes has been reported worldwide, especially among young children <4 years old. There are large differences between countries in the incidence of type 1 diabetes, e.g up to 10‐fold differences among European countries.

I'd strongly suspect that a ten-fold difference between countries might have a lot more to do with failure to identify and diagnose than an actual incidence difference. If you're not actively looking for something it's probable you won't find it - so a system assumption that T1 is mostly diagnosed in children will be confirmed by the system only looking for T1 in children.

Totally agree!

 

[searley]

I think knowledge is improving at one point most over 30's were told they were type 2.. as was the case for me

It was only my pushing my consultant 8 years later that I was going to stop insulin that further testing was done and they said "well you can't because you are t1"

Even a lot of doctors now will automatically say you are t2 over a certain age.. and its only when all the conventional medications for t2 don't work that it's looked at further

 

[agwagw]

My brother developed Type 1 at age 6. I developed diabetes at age 30 - they thought it was T2, but the medications didn't work of course. I was in denial as I was very slim at the time. It has since been diagnosed as 'latent autoimmune diabetes in adults' - LADA, which has a slower progression than childhood onset.

In terms of triggering events, my brother had a very bad case of bronchitis shortly before developing diabetes (it was 1960 so diagnosis of the cause of the bronchitis was not clear). In my case I was under extreme pressure at work with lots of stress - no idea if it was contributary.

 

[Berry1271]

My traumatic event was the sudden death of a close relative. Completely blindsided me. I had to deal with that loss on top of my family trauma dumping on me in the months following it. I don't recall experiencing any issues with my eyes, throat, or ears at that time. But I was never given the chance to properly process my grief, so I have to wonder if that ultimately caused my body to turn on itself. According to the doctors, they traced my diabetes development back to just under three months prior to my diagnosis, which I recall I (unknowingly, because I had no knowledge about diabetes as a whole back then) started experiencing hyperglycaemia symptoms; constant thirst and hunger, frequent urination, weight loss, all of which I ignorantly explained away to be the result of either the warm weather at the time or my unresolved grief. But what ended up tipping me off and sending me to my GP was an allergy rash developing across my abdomen in the third month, which I now suspect was actually my body's way of warning me that something was wrong, because I have no medical history of allergies. It's crazy how your body can react to certain things sometimes.

That’s exactly what happened to me at the age of 14 in the mid 80s and all around me thought my symptoms especially weight loss were due to grief. It was a tough time and still is sometimes especially as the close relative was also type 1 and of a young adult age. It still gets me down but I live my life and am thankful I am here to enjoy it and do my best to be positive .

 

[Melgar]

That’s exactly what happened to me at the age of 14 in the mid 80s and all around me thought my symptoms especially weight loss were due to grief. It was a tough time and still is sometimes especially as the close relative was also type 1 and of a young adult age. It still gets me down but I live my life and am thankful I am here to enjoy it and do my best to be positive .

I believe that is an important point, like all other autoimmune disorders, you also have to have the genetic component. A close relative with T1 raises the possibility of having the same genetic risk. No genetic susceptibility no T1 . Of course, you can also have the genetic susceptibility, but never develop T1 regardless of stress triggers.

 

[Introverted_And_Proud]

I believe that is an important point, like all other autoimmune disorders, you also have to have the genetic component. A close relative with T1 raises the possibility of having the same genetic risk. No genetic susceptibility no T1 . Of course, you can also have the genetic susceptibility, but never develop T1 regardless of stress triggers.

Agreed. My maternal granddad was Type 1. His children never developed Type 1 diabetes, but it could have easily been passed into my genetics. I was also born two months premature due to being a pre-eclampsia baby, which the DSNs told me put me at risk of developing Type 1 diabetes as well. I do still believe the loss of my relative ultimately triggered my diagnosis, but I also think my genetics and birth circumstances contributed because of the combined risk factors.