Type 1 diabetes diagnoses surge among Puerto Rican teens

Article excerpt

Type 1 diabetes diagnoses among Puerto Rican teenagers have more than doubled over 15 years, jumping from 2009 to 2021 and staying elevated through 2024, according to research presented at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago. The condition is increasing at an average rate of 4.1% per year, a dramatic acceleration that suggests environmental, genetic, or lifestyle factors may be driving the surge. The study adds to growing evidence that type 1 diabetes, traditionally thought of as a genetic disease, has environmental triggers that vary across populations.