Tight Management of Type 1 Diabetes Worth the Effort
MONDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- By carefully controlling blood sugar levels and taking medications that lower blood pressure and cholesterol, people with type 1 diabetes can significantly reduce their risk of developing the most serious complications associated with the disease, new research shows.
In a study appearing in the July 27 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, scientists report that people who intensively manage their blood sugar levels have less than a 1 percent chance of becoming blind, needing a kidney transplant or losing a limb.
"We wanted to describe what happens with modern day management, and over a 30-year period, we found that people with type 1 diabetes should no longer be suffering from those most serious complications," said study co-author Dr. Daniel Nathan, director of the diabetes center at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
"This study provides a good motivational message," said Nathan, who added that with good blood glucose control, "type 1 diabetes need not be accompanied by the frequent occurrence of long-term complications, and people with type 1 diabetes can look forward to long, healthy, productive lives."
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