Bull World Health Organ. 1990;68(2):231-6.
Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is a chronic disease of childhood that is associated with high costs, mortality and morbidity, but which is of unknown etiology. Globally, the incidence and prevalence of the disease are highly variable. Study of IDDM among Arab children, who have similar genetic characteristics, but markedly different environmental backgrounds, could provide important insight into its cause. Few studies of IDDM in Arab populations have been carried out, but the limited data available indicate that there are marked variations in the risk of the disease and in its distribution between the sexes. It is therefore very important that IDDM registries be established in Arab countries since this could lead to a greater understanding of the disease and perhaps its prevention.
胰岛素依赖型糖尿病（IDDM）是一种儿童期慢性疾病，其治疗成本高，死亡率和发病率也高，但其病因不明。在全球范围内，该疾病的发病率和患病率差异很大。对具有相似遗传特征但环境背景明显不同的阿拉伯儿童进行IDDM研究，可能会为其病因提供重要见解。针对阿拉伯人群的IDDM研究很少，但现有的有限数据表明，该疾病的风险及其在性别之间的分布存在显著差异。因此，在阿拉伯国家建立IDDM登记处非常重要，因为这可能会使人们对该疾病有更深入的了解，甚至可能有助于预防该疾病。
