The Incidence of Type 1 Diabetes in the Age Group 0–39 Years Has Not Increased in Antwerp (Belgium) Between 1989 and 2000

Abstract

Our results indicate that in Belgium, the increasing incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes-especially for children under age 5 years-is not attributable to a global increase in disease incidence, but rather to earlier clinical manifestation. The results suggest that an environmental factor may preferentially accelerate the subclinical disease process in young diabetes-prone subjects.