Associated conditions and other complications

Other autoimmune associations

Adrenal insufficiency

• Adrenocortical autoantibodies can be detected in 2–4% of young people with type 1 diabetes
• Adrenal insufficiency occurs rarely in children with diabetes but must be suspected where there are decreasing insulin requirements, unexplained hypoglycemia, weight loss, lethargy or increasing skin pigmentation

Polyglandular autoimmune disorders

• Approximately 25% of patients with one autoimmune disease may develop another autoimmune disease during their lifetime
• Other associated conditions include
  • vitiligo
  • alopecia
  • hypoparathyroidism
  • hypergonadotropic hypogonadism
  • pernicious anemia