The prevalence of people over 65 living with type 1 diabetes skyrocketed in the past 30 years, a new study finds.
In the US, the prevalence went up 0.51% yearly among older adults over 65. That’s an increase of 1.3 million people over 65 in 1990 with the disease to 3.7 million in 2019, the authors noted in a study published on June 12 in The BMJ. Data included people from 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019.
Dying from type 1 diabetes slipped by about 1% every year since 1990, the data also showed. The mortality for people 65 and up went down by 25% during the three decades covered in the study. “These [mortality] findings may be related to recent achievements in development goals aimed at improving accessibility and coverage of healthcare services, as well as progress in economic growth, reduced poverty, and social protection efforts,” the authors wrote.
The most rapid prevalence was in North Africa and the Middle East, and Western Europe, and the slowest increase in prevalence was in North America. All 21 regions around the world had an increased prevalence of type 1 diabetes in people over 65.
The disease no longer contributes to a reduced life expectancy for many people due to medical care improvements, Yongze Li, MD, PhD, of First Hospital of China Medical University in Shenyang, said in a statement.
The expansion of insulin as well as insulin pumps likely had a role in the reduced deaths and higher prevalence. “Although no cure exists for T1DM, the disease is manageable,” the authors wrote.
In addition to lower mortality, the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) also dropped, even though it was at a slower rate than death. DALYs decreased by about 0.33% on average annually during the study period.
High fasting plasma glucose level remained the largest DALY risk factor of the older adults studied through the study period. This suggests that blood glucose control is “still suboptimal and a challenge” for these patients.
