A 10-year (1996-2005) prospective study of the incidence of Type 1 diabetes in Moscow in the age group 0-14 years.

Aims: To provide data on the incidence of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Moscow, determined prospectively from 1996 to 2005 for a total of > 10 million subjects aged < 15 years.

Methods: Data on T1D incidence in patients with newly discovered T1D resident in Moscow diagnosed between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 2005 were analysed. Primary ascertainment was based in endocrinology departments of children's hospitals in Moscow. A secondary source were the archives of Moscow Region where patients are registered to obtain exemption from paying for medication.

Results: We identified 2031 new cases of T1D patients with a degree of ascertainment through primary and secondary sources of 94%. Overall the incidence rate of the disease was 12.9 per 100,000 per year (95% confidence interval 12.3- 13.4). The cumulative risk of the disease was 0.28 per 1000 in the age group 0-4 years, 0.84 in the age group 5-9 years and 1.8 in the age group 10-14 years. The incidence rate in girls increased by a mean of 6% per year in all age groups (P < 0.05 for all comparisons), whereas in boys it increased by a mean of 7% in the age group 10-14 years. Thirty percent of cases presented with diabetic ketoacidosis and coma at diagnosis, whereas hyperglycaemia without ketonuria was present in 20% of patients.

Conclusions: This is the first study to report on validated incidence data for T1D in Moscow. We conclude that the incidence of T1D in Moscow is comparable to that of those European countries having intermediate incidence rates, and that the incidence is increasing.