Public Defence 3 May – Maryam Saeed

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Cand.med. Maryam Saeed at Institute of Clinical Medicine will be defending the thesis “Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and End-Stage Renal Disease in Type 1 Diabetes with onset before 15 years of age, 1973 - 2017” for the degree of PhD (Philosophiae Doctor).

Time and place: May 3, 2024 1:15 PM, Rødt auditorium, Laboratoriebygningen (25), Ullevål universitetssykehus, Kirkeveien 166

Summary

Type 1 diabetes is increasing worldwide and in Norway, with a record incidence rate of 49.1 per 100,000 person-years in Norway in 2022 diagnosed before 15 years of age. This chronic disease exposes individuals to elevated risks of complications including kidney disease and coronary heart disease (CHD).

This study aimed to investigate potential associations between inflammatory markers in individuals with long-standing type 1 diabetes and the development of CHD. Additionally, it explored the incidence of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in individuals with type 1 diabetes compared to matched controls. The focus was on identifying risk factors and potential correlations with demographic variables.

A national cohort of individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes before age 15 since 1973, was derived from the Norwegian Childhood Diabetes Registry. Article 1 analyzed a subgroup with clinical data and biobank blood samples from 2002-2003, initiating follow-up from that point. Articles 2 and 3 included the entire cohort, comparing against matched controls. Analyses involved linking data from various national registers, encompassing information on ESRD, CHD, AMI and educational levels.

Serum galectin-3 revealed as a robust predictor of CHD risk in type 1 diabetes. Lower education level (<10 years) compared to higher education (>13 years) significantly increased the risk of ESRD by sevenfold and AMI by two to threefold in individuals with type 1 diabetes. The risk of ESRD and AMI in individuals with type 1 diabetes, compared to those without, was 35-fold and 9-fold higher, respectively.

The study emphasizes the importance of early detection, intervention, and personalized diabetes education to mitigate serious health challenges in this population. The findings underscore the necessity for tailored diabetes education, considering individual backgrounds, to address the diverse risk factors associated with type 1 diabetes complications.

Principal Supervisor: Professor II Torhild Skrivarhaug, University of Oslo