Increasing incidence of type 1 diabetes in population from Santiago of Chile: trends in a period of 18 years (1986-2003)

Study objective and setting The aim of this study is to determine the incidence rate of type 1 diabetes in the metropolitan region of Santiago, Chile from 1 January 1986 to 31 December 2003. Design Population-based incidence study. Participants: A case must fulfill the following requirements to be included in this study: age at onset: 0 to 14 years, diagnosed with diabetes and placed on insulin, diagnosed within the defined time period, and to be a resident of the metropolitan region of Santiago at the time of the diagnosis. The population 'at risk' is the population less than 15 years of age. Result The overall rate of type 1 diabetes was estimated as 4.02 cases per 100 000 children per year (95% confidence interval: 2.98-4.83). Conclusion The incidence of type 1 diabetes in Santiago, Chile has increased during the last years. This data are concordant with the observation that the incidence of type 1 diabetes is increasing in Latin America and worldwide