Type 1 Diabetes

Polygenic risk

People with high polygenic risk scores are 12 to 20 times more likely to develop type 1 diabetes.

This estimate is based on data about people of African and European ancestry. Information is lacking or not available for those of other ancestries.

For participants with a high polygenic risk score, recommendations include:

• Advise the participant and, if possible, the participant's family about early symptoms of type 1 diabetes and when to alert their clinician.
• Consider yearly autoantibody testing up to age 17.
• If two or more positive antibodies are present, or symptoms of type 1 diabetes are present, the screening is considered atypical. Consider referral to an endocrinologist.
  • If the screening is atypical, the endocrinologist or the primary care team may do more screening. This includes checking hemoglobin A1C, regular fasting glucose, or at-home urine test for sugar and ketones about every three months.