A report published in the December issue of Diabetes Care found that death rates have dropped significantly in people with type 1 diabetes.  The findings, reported by the University of Pittsburgh, are based on the Allegheny County Type 1 Diabetes Registry, one of the largest population-based registries of the disease, which includes nearly 1,100 people diagnosed between 1965 and 1979 in Allegheny County, Pa.  The report found that those who were diagnosed in the 1970s had a lower mortality rate compared with those diagnosed in the 1960s.

While the decline in death rates from type 1 diabetes isn’t falling as fast as one would hope, the outcome of this study shows that diabetes care has improved in many ways over the last couple of decades, and as a result, people with diabetes are living longer now.

Research has led to the development of new technologies-like insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors-to test and control blood sugar. These tools have produced better clinical outcomes and lessened the risk for low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which can be life-threatening, and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), which can lead to long-term complications.  All these research advances mean a better life and longer life expectancy for people with type 1 diabetes. 

There is no doubt we have made progress toward better treatments, but there is still a lot of room for improvement and plenty of research still needs to be done. Advancing science takes time. We need to keep testing for new ways of managing diabetes, and more carefully assess its impact on complications, as diabetes-related complications are the main causes of a shortened life span.

Given some of the biggest advances in diabetes care that have occurred since the 1970s, one cannot predict that the numbers stated in this report will likely be much better for people diagnosed today.  That’s why we need to keep funding research that will help improve the lives of people with diabetes today.   What’s more, it is encouraging that the research in continuous glucose monitors and new devices like the artificial pancreas, will help people manage their disease better and we expect it will decrease risk of complications. 

The key takeaway from this report is that managing and doing your best to take good care of your diabetes is the surest way to reduce the risk of developing complications later on in life.