Family characteristics and life events before the onset of autoimmune type1 diabetes in young adults - A nationwide study

OBJECTIVE - To elucidate whether family characteristics and stressful life events were associated with onset of autoimmune type 1 diabetes in young ad ults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - This investigation was based on a nation-wide study (Diabetes Incidence Study in Sweden) of newly diagnosed patients age d 15-34 years. Patients clinically classified as type 1 diabetic with antib odies to islet cells and/or to GAD65 were compared with age- and sex-matche d control subjects via questionnaire. The questionnaire covered diabetes he redity, social environment, educational level, and life events experienced during the 12 months before diagnosis. RESULTS - The rate of response was 82% for the diabetic patients and 65% fo r the control subjects. Questionnaires from 349 diabetic patients and 979 c ontrol subjects were considered. Diabetes in relatives was more frequent in the patients (odds ratio [OR]2.6) who were born in Sweden and whose mother s were of Swedish origin. No major stress factors were detected in the diab etic patients; however, in comparison with the control subjects, the diabet ic patients had experienced fewer conflicts with their parents and had less often broken contacts with friends. CONCLUSIONS - Young adults with recent-onset type 1 diabetes were more expo sed to heredity for diabetes, but no major prediabetic stress factors were detected. Our study does not directly support the concept that psychosocial stressful life events are involved in the development of autoimmune type 1 diabetes in young adults.