Obesity Raises Risk of Type 1 Diabetes in Children

Obesity among children ages 2 to 10 years is associated with an increased risk for type 1 diabetes, according to a recent study.

Incidence of type 1 diabetes is increasing worldwide, and previous research has led the researchers to hypothesize that this increase may be partly explained by rising rates of childhood obesity.
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In their study, the researchers created a genetic instrument of 23 single nucleotide morphisms associated with obesity among children ages 2 to 10 years, and then evaluated data from a previous meta-analysis of 5913 type 1 diabetes cases and 8828 reference samples.

Additional data was obtained via the Early Growth Genetics Consortium, the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits Consortium, the Tobacco and Genetics Consortium, and the Social Science Genetic Association Consortium.

A Mendelian randomization analysis and a sensitivity analysis were conducted, and the Egger regression method was used.

Results of the study, which were controlled for horizontal pleiotropy bias, indicated that childhood adiposity is associated with the risk for type 1 diabetes. However, the study had several limitations, including that the underlying genes and their mechanisms for most of the genetic variants included in the results are not known.

“This study provides genetic support for a link between childhood adiposity and [type 1 diabetes] risk,” the researchers concluded. “Together with evidence from observational studies, our findings further emphasize the importance of measures to reduce the global epidemic of childhood obesity and encourage mechanistic studies.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Censin JC, Nowak C, Cooper N, Bergsten P, Todd JA, Fall T. Childhood adiposity and risk of type 1 diabetes: a Mendelian randomization study [Published online August 1, 2017]. PLOS Med. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002362.