Association and Familial Coaggregation of Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders: A Register-Based Cohort Study in Denmark and Sweden
OBJECTIVE <p>To ascertain the association and co-aggregation of eating disorders and childhood-onset type 1 diabetes in families. </p> <p>RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS</p> <p>Using population samples from national registers in Sweden (n= 2 517 277) and Demark (n= 1 825 920) we investigated the within-individual association between type 1 diabetes and EDs, and their familial co-aggregation among full siblings, half-siblings, full cousins, and half-cousins. Based on clinical diagnoses we classified eating disorders (EDs) into: any eating disorder (AED), anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia nervosa (AN), and other eating disorder (OED). Associations were determined with hazard ratios (HR) with confidence intervals (CI) from Cox regressions. </p> <p>RESULTS</p> <pre>Swedish and Danish individuals with a type 1 diabetes diagnosis had a greater risk of receiving an ED diagnosis (HR [95% CI] Sweden: AED 2.02 [1.80 – 2.27], AN 1.63 [1.36 – 1.96], OED 2.34 [2.07 – 2.63]; Denmark: AED 2.19 [1.84 – 2.61], AN 1.78 [1.36 – 2.33], OED 2.65 [2.20 – 3.21]). We also meta-analyzed the results: AED 2.07 [1.88 – 2.28], AN 1.68 [1.44 – 1.95], OED 2.44 [2.17 – 2.72]. There was an increased risk of receiving an ED diagnosis in full siblings in the Swedish cohort (AED 1.25 [1.07 – 1.46], AN 1.28 [1.04 – 1.57], OED 1.28 [1.07 – 1.52]), these results were non-significant in the Danish cohort.</pre> <p>CONCLUSION</p> <p>Patients with 1 diabetes are at a higher risk of subsequent EDs; however, there is conflicting support for the relationship between having a sibling with type 1 diabetes and ED diagnosis. Diabetes healthcare teams should be vigilant for disordered eating behaviors in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. </p>