Epidemiologic features of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents over a 5-year period - a sigle centre experience

Objective − To investigate the epidemiological, clinical and laboratory features of children and adolescents with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) treated at the Clinical Hospital Centre, Rijeka. Methods − The medical records of 83 hospitalized children were analysed retrospectively by gender and age subgroups. Results − The mean age of children at diagnosis was 8.40}4.82 years. At T1DM onset, the number of children ≤5, between 6-10 and ≥11 years old was 31 (37.3%), 23 (27.7%) and 29 (34.9%), respectively. The patients were mostly diagnosed at ages 2-4 years (18.1%), followed by the 12-14 years age group (15.7%). Mean duration of symptoms was 21.96}27.92 days. The symptoms lasted significantly longer (P=0.0116) and mean glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was significantly higher (P=0.0039) in the ≥11 years subgroup. Polyuria and polydipsia were the most common symptoms (90.36%). 25.3% of patients had diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Conclusion − The age at T1DM onset has been decreasing. The symptoms lasted significantly longer and mean HbA1c levels were significantly higher in older children. The incidence of DKA in children with newly diagnosed T1DM is still high and includes one quarter of all patients.