Why to screen for Autoimmune T1D
WHY TO SCREEN
Proactive screening reduces the likelihood of a medical emergency and enables a smoother transition to life with Stage 3 autoimmune T1D.7,8,27,28
SCREENING AND MONITORING PROGRAMMES CAN REDUCE RATES OF DKA BY UP TO APPROXIMATELY 90%, PREVENTING SEVERE COMPLICATIONS AND REDUCING HOSPITALISATION27
Studies show that screening can lower rates of DKA at onset of Stage 3 autoimmune T1D.34–40
High reductions of DKA rates were observed in the following studies:
DKA, diabetic ketoacidosis; HLA, human leukocyte antigen; T1D, type 1 diabetes; TEDDY, The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young; US, United States.
*Public health screening that screened 90,632 children for autoimmune T1D islet autoantibodies in Bavaria, Germany, of the 62 children with presymptomatic autoimmune T1D who developed Stage 3 of the condition, 2 (3.2%) were diagnosed in the laboratory with mild or moderate DKA without clinical symptoms, while 60 (96.8%) did not have DKA.34 †The previously reported prevalence of DKA in unscreened children is over 20% in Germany.34
‡A study that screened 424,788 children for autoimmune T1D HLA risk at birth and enrolled 8,677 children between 2004 and 2010. Of those children aged <5 years at autoimmune T1D diagnosis, 9 of 79 (11%) experienced DKA at diagnosis.35
ENABLE A SMOOTHER TRANSITION INTO LIFE WITH AUTOIMMUNE T1D7,8,27,28,47,48
An abrupt Stage 3 autoimmune T1D diagnosis can feel like a crash-landing for individuals and their families.49,50
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Early detection of autoimmune T1D through screening creates a valuable window for proactive education and support.7,8,27,28,47,48
“If you take care of yourself, you don’t wait for something to happen to you. It’s hard to get through that trauma [of diagnosis], not only physically but mentally too. If you can anticipate it, it’s important and better for your body and your health.”
Alizée,
Real person living with autoimmune T1D
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High HbA1c levels are linked to greater diabetes distress.*51 Individuals diagnosed via screening in the condition’s presymptomatic stages show lower HbA1c levels at Stage 3.28
“It gives myself and my wife a lot of peace to know and some calm; we’ve got this covered. There’s usually some calm, comfort and peace that comes with doing the screening.”
Korey,
Real person living with autoimmune T1D and parent
Children who are diagnosed with autoimmune T1D through screening before symptoms start tend to have lower HbA1c levels and fewer DKA events at Stage 3 vs those not screened.28
“She had serious ketoacidosis... she was breathing too hard, she wouldn’t open her eyes anymore, so we ran to the hospital. Valeria was basically in a coma when she got there.”
Ana,
Caring for her child living with autoimmune T1D
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The provision of quality, individualised education for families with children diagnosed with Stage 1 or 2 autoimmune T1D improves quality of life and lowers parental stress at Stage 3 onset.†47
“When you are educated, it can take less time to be autonomous. Autonomy when you have type 1 is really important.”
Aïcha,
Real person living with autoimmune T1D
DKA, diabetic ketoacidosis; T1D, type 1 diabetes.
*Diabetes distress refers to the emotional burden and stress resulting from the ongoing demands of managing diabetes daily.51 †Qualitative studies reveal that while maternal anxiety levels initially spike after learning of their child’s high-risk status, this anxiety typically subsides to normal levels within 4–12 months.48
