Study: Intensive glucose control lowers long-standing Type 1 diabetes complications

NEW YORK Diabetic patients that begin their glucose control immediately following diagnosis will likely improve their long-term prognosis of Type 1 diabetes, a study published in the July 27th issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine concluded.

The 30-year study from the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications continued to follow participants from an earlier study from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, which had determined intensive glucose control to be the best way to prevent or delay Type 1 diabetic complications. EDIC continued to observe the patients to determine the long-term effects of prior intensive versus conventional blood glucose control.

Investigators compared overall rates of eye, kidney and cardiovascular complications in three groups of people, all of whom were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and were generally 30 years of age.

The study found that the intensively treated DDCT participants faced lower complication rates compared with EDC participants.

"These data give clinicians a realistic description of the clinical outcomes they can discuss with their patients. When intensive therapy, now the standard of care, is implemented early in the course of diabetes, most patients with Type 1 diabetes should be able to avoid the disastrous long-term complications that were so common in the past," said David Nathan, M.D. of Massachusetts General Hospital and co-chair of DDCT.