Rising Rates of All Types of Diabetes in South Asian and Non-South Asian Children and Young People Aged 0–29 Years in West Yorkshire, U.K., 1991–2006

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To investigate incidence trends of all diabetes types in all children and young people and in the south Asian subpopulation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Annual incidence per 100,000 and time trends (1991–2006) were analyzed for 2,889 individuals aged 0–29 years diagnosed with diabetes while resident in West Yorkshire, U.K. RESULTS Diagnoses comprised type 1 (83%), type 2 (12%), maturity-onset diabetes of the young (0.7%), “J”-type/other (0.1%), and uncertain/unclassified (4%). There was a lower incidence of type 1 and a threefold excess of type 2 in south Asians compared with non-south Asians. Type 1 incidence leveled out and type 2 increased after the first south Asian case of type 2 was diagnosed in 1999. Type 2 and unclassified diabetes incidence rose in all population subgroups. CONCLUSIONS The burden of diabetes increased over time for both ethnic groups, with a significant excess of type 2 diabetes in south Asians. The rising incidence of type 1 diabetes in south Asians attenuated as type 2 diabetes increased after 1999.