EnRAGEd about death in type 1 diabetes

Excerpt

The mortality rate for those with type 1 diabetes has declined quite remarkably over the last decades. Recent data from Allegheny County (PA, USA) suggest a 33% fall in the 30-year mortality rates for those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as children in the late 1970s, compared with those diagnosed in the early 1960s [1]. Declines have also been reported from Europe [2, 3]. Much of this improvement probably reflects better diabetes management, spurred on by the demonstration of the long-term value of intensive glycaemic management [4, 5] and the advent of self-monitoring of blood glucose and HbA_1c testing. Nonetheless, mortality still remains five to six times higher for those with type 1 diabetes [1] compared with an age-matched community population, and much work remains to be done. …