Downs syndrome patients four times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes

Written By : Dr.Niharika Harsha B |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2022-10-17T20:00:22+05:30 | Updated On 18 Oct 2022 12:54 PM IST

A recent study found that young Downs syndrome patients have four times more incidence of type 2 diabetes than controls due to higher body mass index. The study was published in the journal Diabetes Care.

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common form of chromosomal trisomy. The risk of diabetes is increased by the genetic factors in DS. So, researchers conducted a study to determine whether DS is associated with an increased incidence of diabetes and the relationship with obesity across the lifespan compared with control patients. Based on the data from UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink, a population-based cohort study was performed and analyzed from 1990 to 2020.

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RESULTS

A total of 9,917 patients with DS and 38,266 control patients were analyzed.
Diabetes rates were higher in patients with DS and peaked at a younger age where the median age at diagnosis was 38 years in DS vs. 53 years in control patients.
Incidence rates for type 1 diabetes mellitus were 0.44 in patients with DS vs. 0.13 in control patients.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rates were higher in patients with DS versus control patients in age-groups from 5 years up to 34 years.
In patients with DS, peak mean BMI was higher at a younger age versus control patients.

Downs syndrome	Control
Males - 31.2 kg/m2 at age 31 years	Males - 29.5 kg/m2 at 54 years
Females - 32.1 kg/m2 at 43 years	Females - 29.2 kg/m2 at 51 years

Obesity was associated with an increased incidence of T2DM.

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Thus, the study shows that the incidence of diabetes in patients with DS is higher and at a younger age than controls due to higher BMI.

Aisha A. Aslam, R. Asaad Baksh, Sarah E. Pape, Andre Strydom, Martin C. Gulliford, Li F. Chan, GO-DS21 Consortium; for the GO-DS21 Consortium, Diabetes and Obesity in Down Syndrome Across the Lifespan: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using U.K. Electronic Health Records. Diabetes Care 2022; dc220482. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc22-0482

Down syndromechromosomal trisomydiabetesobesitypopulation–based cohortType 2 diabetes mellitusBMI

Source : Diabetes Care

Dr.Niharika Harsha B

BDS, MDS

Dr.Niharika Harsha B (BDS,MDS) completed her BDS from Govt Dental College, Hyderabad and MDS from Dr.NTR University of health sciences(Now Kaloji Rao University). She has 4 years of private dental practice and worked for 2 years as Consultant Oral Radiologist at a Dental Imaging Centre in Hyderabad. She worked as Research Assistant and scientific writer in the development of Oral Anti cancer screening device with her seniors. She has a deep intriguing wish in writing highly engaging, captivating and informative medical content for a wider audience. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751