FEDERATE-CAN
Do you have a family member living with type 1 diabetes?
Our study aims to evaluate the feasibility and adherence to a program for early detection of type 1 diabetes and monitoring of its progression in adult first-degree relatives (mother, father, brother, sister, child) of people living with type 1 diabetes in Quebec.
Our mission
Promoting early screening for earlier intervention
Screening
simple by measuring antibody levels in the blood (blood test)
Available at no charge
as part of the research project
Why
Benefits of early detection
For the majority (95%) of people screened for early stages of type 1 diabetes, the result will be negative, meaning that the risk of developing type 1 diabetes in the future is low and similar to that of the general population.
However, in the event of a positive result, early screening allows for:
- Prevent serious complications, such as diabetic ketoacidosis. This helps avoid hospitalization and its impact on long-term diabetes management.
- Avoid confusion with type 2 diabetes, enabling the right treatment to be offered.
- Allows for gradual training in disease management
Who can get screened
Criteria for participating in the study
This study is for you if you are a mother, father, child, brother, or sister of someone living with type 1 diabetes in Quebec.
This research project involves several steps
If the screening test is negative (95% of cases), your participation will involve only one visit. If the screening test is positive, this study will involve up to 8 visits to the IRCM over a maximum period of 3 years.
First visit at the IRCM
Signing the consent form, medical examination, blood test including screening for antibodies for diabetes and other autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, liver, kidney, cholesterol, etc. and completing questionnaires.
Communication of screening results
If the result is negative, an explanatory letter will be sent to you by mail or email. Your risk of developing type 1 diabetes in the future is low and similar to that of the general population. If the result is positive, a member of the team will contact you directly.
Confirmation and staging of a positive result
Two further visits will be scheduled at the IRCM to confirm the diagnosis and assess the stage of progression of type 1 diabetes.
Choice of follow-up
You can choose between continuing your positive screening follow-up at the IRCM (centralized follow-up) or with your primary care physician (decentralized follow-up).
Follow-up at the IRCM
If follow-up is carried out at the IRCM, visits will take place every 6 months for 3 years. During these visits, blood tests will be taken to assess the stage of the disease and its progression, other blood parameters will be measured, and questionnaires will be given to assess your lifestyle and your experience of screening.
Screening location
Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM)
Located in Montreal at the corner of Des Pins Avenue West and St-Urbain Street, near the Sherbrooke and Place-des-Arts metro stations.
By appointment only
Screening location address: 120 Avenue des Pins W, Montreal, QC, H2W 1R7
About us
Metabolic Diseases Research Unit, Dr. Rémi Rabasa-Lhoret
Dr. Rabasa-Lhoret’s team at the IRCM is composed of around fifteen health professionals and students. The main areas of research include type 1 diabetes and diabetes secondary to cystic fibrosis.
Any questions?
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can participate. If you decide to participate in the study, you agree to travel to the IRCM for all study visits. Only one visit is required if the screening test is negative.
The first visit lasts approximately 2 hours. The visit includes:
- Signing the consent form
- Completing questionnaires: Medical history, lifestyle, physical activity, diet, and mental health
- Various measurements: weight, blood pressure, waist circumference, glycation products
- Blood test: antibody testing for type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases, liver and kidney function tests, cholesterol, etc.
Among all the tests performed, the only one that causes discomfort is the blood draw. All other tests should not cause any pain.
If a member of your family has type 1 diabetes and you test negative as an adult, your risk of developing the disease is the same as that of someone without risk factors, but it is not zero. However, in the absence of scientific data, current recommendations do not suggest retesting.
At present, there is no way to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes. However, there is a Health Canada-approved treatment to delay its onset in those with early-stage disease. For more information, see the link SUPPORT for teplizumab.
You can contact our team at the following email address:
[email protected] or by phone at 514-987-5500 ext. 3295.
This research project is funded by Sanofi as part of an “Investigator-Initiated Research.” This means that the study is designed and conducted by independent researchers, not by the pharmaceutical company. The funding supports the research activities, but Sanofi is not involved in the design or conduct of the study, the analysis of the data, or the interpretation of the results. The researchers remain responsible for the project and are committed to following strict scientific and ethical standards to ensure the integrity and transparency of the results.
Once the study is completed, it will be important to continue regular follow-up to ensure that progression of type 1 diabetes is not missed. Your medical follow-up may be carried out either by your family physician if you have one, or by one of the clinician investigators involved in the study.
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