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The epidemiology and pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus in Africa


CJ Padoa

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes is a serious, debilitating disease, with life-threatening complications, and the financial burden associated with the management of this disease is enormous. Early diagnosis and intervention can improve morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, in Africa, type 1 diabetes is poorly characterised, and there is sparse information regarding the aetiology and epidemiology of this disease. However, there is some evidence of a later age of onset in African type 1 diabetic patients, compared to European diabetics, and it is thought that the prevalence of type 1 diabetes is lower in African populations than in the Western world.

Keywords: type 1 diabetes, Africa, epidemiology, autoimmunity, susceptibility


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 2220-1009
print ISSN: 1608-9677