Asthma is associated with increased T1D risk in children

Studies in the past  have demonstrated positive associations between asthma and type 1 diabetes, indicating their concomitant occurrence at a population level and individual level and presenting evidence of the importance of the sequential appearance of disease.

Dr Awad I. Smew at Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden and associates have found  in a a large Swedish cohort study that  Asthma and type 1 diabetes (T1D) co-occur within individual children.Asthma is associated with increased T1D risk, but not vice versa.In addition to this Siblings are also at risk for co-occurrence.Therefore clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for familial co-aggregation when either disease presents in a child.The study has been published in JAMA Netw Open.

The association between atopic and autoimmune disease, particularly asthma and type 1 diabetes, has been debated.Researchers conducted a  retrospective cohort study to find out whether there was  an association between childhood asthma and type 1 diabetes and do shared familial factors contribute to the comorbidity,

The researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1,284,748 singleton children, live-born in Sweden (2001-2013).In the study children were linked to their biological full siblings, cousins, and half-cousins.A total of 1 347 901 singleton children, live-born in Sweden between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2013, were identified, and children with incomplete data were excluded. The remaining 1 284 748 children were linked to their biological full siblings, maternal and paternal half-siblings, cousins, and half-cousins. Data analysis was conducted from April 1, 2019, to January 17, 2020.Cases of asthma and type 1 diabetes were defined using a combination of diagnoses and medication prescriptions found in the registers.

They found that -

• Asthma occurred in 9.5%, T1D in 0.3%.494 (0.04%) had both conditions.Asthma and T1D were positively associated within an individual child.OR, 1.15 (95% CI, 1.05-1.27).
• Children with asthma had a higher risk for subsequent T1D.
• HR, 1.16 (95% CI, 1.06-1.27).
• Children with T1D did not have a higher risk for asthma.
• HR, 0.92 (95% CI, 0.75-1.12).
• Siblings of children with 1 condition were at increased risk for the other.OR, 1.27 (95% CI, 1.13-1.42).

• Full cousins of children with 1 disease were at marginally increased risk for the other.OR, 1.08 (95%CI, 1.00-1.17).

This study appears to provide evidence for co-occurrence, importance of sequential appearance, and coaggregation of asthma and type 1 diabetes in children and their siblings. The findings may suggest shared familial factors contributing to the associations.

For further reference log on to :

Smew AI, Lundholm C, Sävendahl L, Lichtenstein P, Almqvist C. Familial Coaggregation of Asthma and Type 1 Diabetes in Children. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(3):e200834. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.0834. PMID: 32163166