What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Cohort. Population: Childhood-onset type 1 diabetes (n=123). Intervention: Childhood-onset type 1 diabetes vs. Healthy controls. Primary outcome: Arterial stiffness (24-h PWV) (p=0.011).

What does this research mean for the field?

Young adults with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes, particularly females, exhibit significantly increased 24-hour blood pressure and arterial stiffness compared to healthy controls. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

May 29, 2026Open Access

Increased 24-h blood pressure and arterial stiffness in young adults with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes: the Norwegian Atherosclerosis and Childhood Diabetes study

Key Result

Childhood-onset type 1 diabetes in young adults was associated with significantly increased arterial stiffness (24-h PWV 8.0 vs. 7.2 m/s; p=0.011) and blood pressure compared to healthy controls.

Key Points

This research aims to assess blood pressure and arterial stiffness in young adults with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes compared to healthy controls.
Prospective population-based cohort study with a 10-year follow-up
Participants included 123 young adults, 82 with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes and 41 healthy controls
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and analysis of cardiovascular risk factors were performed.
Young adults with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes had significantly higher mean arterial stiffness (PWV 8.0 m/s vs 7.2 m/s; ρ = 0.011) compared to controls.
Females with type 1 diabetes showed increased blood pressure parameters and higher LDL-cholesterol levels compared to female controls.
Nighttime blood pressure was significantly higher in males with type 1 diabetes compared to controls.

Study Design

Type

Cohort (n=123)

Structured PICO

Does childhood-onset type 1 diabetes increase 24-h blood pressure and arterial stiffness in young adults compared to healthy controls?

Population

123 young adults (82 with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes, 41 healthy controls) from a defined health-region in Norway. T1D group: mean age 24 ± 3 years, diabetes duration 15 ± 4 years, HbA1c 8.0 ± 1.3%. None had previously known hypertension or were on antihypertensive treatment.

Intervention

Childhood-onset type 1 diabetes (observational exposure)

Comparator

Healthy control subjects (friends of the T1D participants)

Outcome

24-h ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM) and arterial stiffnesssurrogate

Young adults with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes, particularly females, exhibit increased blood pressure and arterial stiffness before the clinical onset of hypertension.

Main Result

Absolute Event Rate: 8% vs 7.2%

p-value: p=0.011

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have increased mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to general population, where hypertension is a major risk factor. The aim of this study was to evaluate blood pressure (BP) and arterial stiffness in young adults with childhood-onset T1D compared to healthy control subjects. METHODS: The atherosclerosis and childhood diabetes (ACD) study is a prospective population-based cohort study, with follow-up every fifth year on early atherosclerosis development and other cardiovascular risk factors in childhood-onset T1D compared to healthy controls. At baseline the cohort was recruited among children with T1D in a defined health-region in Norway along with their friends as healthy control subjects. The original T1D cohort was found to be representative of all children with T1D in Norway at that time. At the 10-year follow-up a cross-sectional analysis of 24-h ambulatory blood pressure measurements (ABPM), including arterial stiffness, was performed, along with an assessment of other CVD risk factors. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-three participants were included in the analysis (T1D n = 82, controls n = 41). The T1D group had mean ± SD age of 24 ± 3 years, diabetes duration of 15 ± 4 years and present HbA1c of 64 ± 14 mmol/mol (8.0 ± 1.3%). None of the T1D participants had previously known hypertension or were on antihypertensive treatment. Females with T1D had significantly higher mean weight, BMI, waist circumference, LDL-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B than female controls. In females, almost all parameters of ABPM were significantly increased compared to their controls, whereas in males only nighttime blood pressure (BP) was significantly increased compared to controls. In the (stage 2) hypertensive group with T1D, LDL-c (3.1 ± 0.08; ρ = 0.038) was significantly increased. Arterial stiffness was significantly increased in the T1D group (24-h PWV was 8.0 ± 1.0 m/s vs. 7.2 ± 0.6 m/s; ρ = 0.011) compared to controls. CONCLUSION: Young adults with childhood-onset T1D had significantly increased BP and arterial stiffness compared to controls, especially females.