screening for complications and associated conditions in children and young people with type 1 diabetes

Last edited 04/2021 and last reviewed 05/2021

Children and young people with type 1 diabetes should be offered screening for:

  • coeliac disease at diagnosis and at least every 3 years thereafter until transfer to adult services
  • thyroid disease at diagnosis and annually thereafter until transfer to adult services
    • approximately 10% of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus develop chronic thyroiditis in their lifetime, which may lead to hypothyroidism (2)
  • retinopathy annually from the age of 12 years
  • microalbuminuria annually from the age of 12 years
  • blood pressure annually from the age of 12 years

Reference:

  1. NICE (July 2004). Type 1 diabetes: diagnosis and management of type 1 diabetes in children, young people and adults
  2. Siskind SM et al. Investigating hypothyroidism.BMJ 2021;373:n993http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n993