[Epidemiology, prediction and prevention of type 1 diabetes: not one fiction in Belgium].
The achievements of the Belgian Diabetes Registry (BDR) over a period of almost 20 years are described. This registry is a national and multicentric initiative that collects blood samples and information from diabetes patients and their relatives and treats the results in a confidential and protected way. Not only could the size of the health care problem 'diabetes' finally be quantified and monitored in Belgium for the age group 0-39 years, but in addition a platform was created for the early detection of individuals at high risk of the disease and its complications. This is a conditio sine qua non for the preparation of internationally competitive prevention studies and novel beta cell therapies, that could be effectively launched in Belgium with the help of BDR.
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Diabetes Research Center, Brussel.
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Gorus
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D008297:Male; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors