New Delhi– Adults diagnosed with type 1 diabetes face a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death, according to new research from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet. Contrary to common assumptions, being diagnosed later in life does not result in a better long-term prognosis compared to those diagnosed in childhood.
Published in the European Heart Journal, the study highlights that adult-onset type 1 diabetes is associated with heightened risks of heart disease and mortality from all causes—including cancer and infections—compared to the general population. Key risk factors include smoking, poor blood sugar control, and obesity.
“Research on adult-onset type 1 diabetes has been relatively limited,” said Yuxia Wei, a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet. “Our findings show that individuals diagnosed after age 40 are not spared the serious complications commonly associated with early-onset cases.”
The study analyzed data from 10,184 adults diagnosed with type 1 diabetes between 2001 and 2020 and compared them with over 509,000 individuals in a matched control group. The results consistently showed that adults with type 1 diabetes had significantly higher rates of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.
Wei also noted that adults with type 1 diabetes were less likely to use insulin pumps and other assistive technologies, which may contribute to poorer glucose control and worse outcomes.
The research team plans to further explore risk factors for developing type 1 diabetes in adulthood, as well as investigate other health complications, such as microvascular damage. Future studies will also evaluate the potential benefits of advanced diabetes technologies like insulin pumps in improving outcomes for this population.
Funded by the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Diabetes Foundation, the study underscores the serious health risks of type 1 diabetes, even when diagnosed later in life. The researchers disclosed no conflicts of interest. (Source: IANS)
