Racial differences in neighborhood disadvantage, inflammation and metabolic control in black and white pediatric type 1 diabetes patients.

Background: Racial variation in the relationship between blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) complicates diabetes diagnosis and management in racially mixed populations. Understanding why HbA1c is persistently higher in blacks than whites could help reduce racial disparity in diabetes outcomes.

Objective: Test the hypothesis that neighborhood disadvantage is associated with inflammation and poor metabolic control in a racially mixed population of pediatric type 1 diabetes patients.