Type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus among people with intellectual disability in comparison to the general population: A register study (IDcare)

Abstract

Aims

To assess the prevalence and prevalence relative risk (PRR) of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among people with intellectual disabilities (ID) compared to the general population using a register-based cohort in Sweden.

Methods

The study included 14,716 people with ID and 1226,955 people from the general population in Skåne, Sweden, on January 1st, 2014. Data on health care contacts were collected from the Skåne Healthcare Register for the entire study period (2014–2021). PRRs with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Poisson regression, with the general population serving as the reference group.

Results

The PRR for T1DM was higher among people with ID (PRR 1.63, 95 % CI 1.36–1.95), particularly among children and adolescents. The PRR for T2DM was also higher (PRR 1.53, 95 % CI 1.43–1.63) across all age groups, except for children. Women had higher PRRs (T1DM: PRR 1.88, 95 % CI 1.42–2.47; T2DM: PRR 1.80, 95 % CI 1.63–1.99) than men (T1DM: PRR 1.44, 95 % CI 1.13–1.82; T2DM: PRR 1.34, 95 % CI 1.22–1.48). The PRR increased with ID severity for T1DM, whereas a higher PRR was observed among people with mild or moderate ID for T2DM, but not among those with severe/profound ID.

Conclusions

People with ID have higher prevalence relative risks for both T1DM and T2DM, indicating a higher diabetes burden than in the general population. Differences in PRR between T1DM and T2DM, according to age, sex, and ID severity, underscore the need for targeted interventions.