Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Mortality in People With Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and all-cause mortality among adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes with and without an eating disorder. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: With use of population-level health care administrative data covering the entire population of Ontario, Canada, all people with type 1 diabetes aged 10-39 years as of January 2014 were identified. Individuals with a history of eating disorders were age- and sex-matched 10:1 with individuals without eating disorders. All individuals were followed for 6 years for hospitalization/emergency department visits for DKA and for all-cause mortality. RESULTS: We studied 168 people with eating disorders and 1,680 age- and sex-matched people without eating disorders. Among adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes, 168 (0.8%) had a history of eating disorders. The crude incidence of DKA was 112.5 per 1,000 patient-years in people with eating disorders vs. 30.8 in people without eating disorders. After adjustment for baseline differences, the subdistribution hazard ratio for comparison of people with and without eating disorders was 3.30 (95% CI 2.58-4.23; P < 0.0001). All-cause mortality was 16.0 per 1,000 person-years for people with eating disorders vs. 2.5 for people without eating disorders. The adjusted hazard ratio was 5.80 (95% CI 3.04-11.08; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes and eating disorders have more than triple the risk of DKA and nearly sixfold increased risk of death compared with their peers without eating disorders.

Eating Disorders in Girls and Women With Type 1 Diabetes: A Longitudinal Study of Prevalence, Onset, Remission, and Recurrence.

OBJECTIVE: Girls and women with type 1 diabetes are at increased risk for developing eating disorders (EDs), and these disorders are associated with serious diabetes-related medical complications. This study describes the longitudinal course of disturbed eating behavior (DEB) and EDs in a cohort with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 126 girls with type 1 diabetes receiving care for diabetes at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto participated in a series of seven interview-based assessments of ED behavior and psychopathology over a 14-year period, beginning in late childhood. Survival analysis was used. RESULTS: Mean age was 11.8 ± 1.5 years at time 1 and 23.7 ± 2.1 years at time 7. At time 7, 32.4% (23/71) met the criteria for a current ED, and an additional 8.5% (6/71) had a subthreshold ED. Mean age at ED onset (full syndrome or below the threshold) was 22.6 years (95% CI 21.6-23.5), and the cumulative probability of onset was 60% by age 25 years. The average time between onset of ED and subsequent ED remission was 4.3 years (95% CI 3.1-5.5), and the cumulative probability of remission was 79% by 6 years after onset. The average time between remission of ED and subsequent recurrence was 6.5 years (95% CI 4.4-8.6), and the cumulative probability of recurrence was 53% by 6 years after remission. CONCLUSIONS: In this longitudinal study, EDs were common and persistent, and new onset of ED was documented well into adulthood. Further research regarding prevention and treatment for this vulnerable group is urgently needed.

Depression, disturbed eating behavior, and metabolic control in teenage girls with type 1 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Depression and disturbed eating behavior (DEB) are more common in girls with type 1 diabetes (T1D) than in the general population, and may negatively affect metabolic control. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship among depression, DEB, and metabolic control in teenage girls with T1D. METHODS: Metabolic control, body mass index and interview-ascertained symptoms of depression, and DEB were assessed twice in 98 girls with T1D, 9-14 y at baseline and 5 yr later at 14-18 yr. RESULTS: At year 5, 12.2% of girls reported current depressive symptoms, 49.0% reported current DEB, and 13.3% had a full or subthreshold eating disorder (ED). Eating Disorder Examination score was higher in girls with depression (1.4 ± 1.3 vs. 0.5 ± 0.7; p = 0.03), and 75.0% of girls with depression also endorsed DEB vs. 45.3% of girls without depression (p = 0.05). Girls with an ED were at high risk for depressive symptoms; 69.2% reported depressive symptoms vs. 22.0% of girls with no DEB (p = 0.004). Metabolic control was not significantly associated with either depression or DEB in this cohort. A regression model using baseline and year 5 depression and DEB to predict year 5 hemoglobin A1c was not significant overall. CONCLUSIONS: Depression and DEB were common and frequently concurrent in this cohort. It was encouraging that poor metabolic control was not yet strongly associated with either depression or DEB. Early detection and treatment may help to prevent the development of entrenched difficulties in this triad of mood, eating behavior, and metabolic control in a vulnerable population.

Prediction of the onset of disturbed eating behavior in adolescent girls with type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of the onset of disturbed eating behavior (DEB) in adolescent girls with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In this prospective study, participants completed the Children's Eating Disorder Examination interview and self-report measures at baseline and at four follow-up assessments over 5 years. Participants were 126 girls with type 1 diabetes, aged 9-13 years at baseline. Of the 101 girls who did not have DEB at baseline, 45 developed DEB during the follow-up period; the 38 for whom data were available for the assessment before onset of DEB were compared with 38 age-matched girls who did not develop DEB. DEB was defined as dieting for weight control, binge eating, self-induced vomiting, or the use of diuretics, laxatives, insulin omission, or intense exercise for weight control. RESULTS: Logistic regression indicated that a model including BMI percentile, weight and shape concern, global and physical appearance-based self-worth, and depression was significantly associated with DEB onset (chi(2) = 46.0, 5 d.f., P < 0.0001) and accounted for 48.2% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: Even though scores on the measures were within the published normal range, the onset of DEB was predicted by higher depression and weight and shape concerns and lower global and physical appearance-based self-worth as well as higher BMI percentile 1-2 years earlier compared with those not developing DEB. Early interventions focused on helping girls with diabetes develop positive feelings about themselves, their weight and shape, and their physical appearance may have protective value.

Eating disturbances in a school population of preteen girls: assessment and screening.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the utility of the Children's Eating Attitudes Test (cEAT) questionnaire in screening for interview-ascertained eating disturbances. METHOD: A total of 409 girls, 9-13 years of age, completed a cEDE interview and cEAT questionnaire. RESULTS: 14.7% of girls reported eating disturbances in the past month on the cEDE. Mean cEDE score was 0.3 +/- 0.6 and mean cEAT score was 5.9 +/- 5.9. The cEAT demonstrated low sensitivity but high specificity at a cutoff score of 20, and poor positive predictive value when lower cutoff scores were used. CONCLUSION: Eating disturbances were common but mild in this preteen group. The cEAT was not an efficient screening tool for interview-ascertained mild eating disturbances in preteen girls.

Eating disorders in young women with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Research findings from the past decade regarding the association of type 1 diabetes mellitus and eating disorders are critically reviewed in this paper. Although there has been much debate regarding the specificity of this association, a recent large multisite case-controlled study demonstrated that the prevalence rates of both full syndrome and subthreshold eating disorders among adolescent and young adult women with diabetes are twice as high as in their nondiabetic peers. Further, a 4-year follow-up study showed that disordered eating behavior in young women with diabetes often persists and is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of diabetic retinopathy. These eating disturbances tend to be associated with impaired family functioning and with poor diabetes management. Health care professionals should maintain a high index of suspicion for the presence of an eating disturbance among young women with diabetes, particularly among those with persistently poor metabolic control and/or weight and shape concerns. Screening for such disturbances should begin during the prepubertal period among girls with diabetes. A brief psychoeducational intervention leads to a reduction in disturbed eating attitudes and behavior but is not sufficient to improve metabolic control. More intensive treatment approaches, which should include a family-based component, may be needed to improve metabolic control. The evaluation of these and other treatment approaches is indicated in view of the serious short- and long-term health risks associated with eating disorders in young women with diabetes.