INCIDENCE OF INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN

Objectives-To determine the incidence of insulin dependent diabetes me llitus (IDDM) among children aged up to 16 years residing in the city of Karachi, Pakistan, during the five years from 1989 to 1993. Design- Retrospective study of incidence using hospital and clinic records. Se tting-The city of Karachi, Pakistan. Subjects-Children satisfying stan dard criteria for the diagnosis of IDDM, attending treatment facilitie s for the first time during the study period. Main outcome measures-Th e incidence of IDDM in this population and its variation by age and se x. Results-The incidence of IDDM in this population is 1.02/100 000 pe r year, which is one of the lowest incidence rates yet reported. Concl usions-The very low incidence of IDDM, contrasted with the substantial ly higher incidence among migrants, supports the view that environment al factors are the major determinants of variations in the incidence o f this condition between populations.