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Type 1 diabetes with no diabetic complications, 62 years later
S Feldman-Billard1, S Limon, Y Morin
1Service de Médecine Interne, CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, 28 rue de Charenton, Paris 75012, France.
Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications
|August 28, 2001
Summary
This case study details an 88-year-old woman diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1938. Despite 62 years of insulin treatment and poorly controlled blood sugar, she showed no signs of diabetic microangiopathy or retinopathy.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Diabetology
- Medical History
Background:
- Type 1 diabetes diagnosis and management in the pre-modern era.
- Historical context of insulin therapy initiation in 1938.
- Long-term outcomes of diabetes treatment.
Observation:
- An 88-year-old female patient diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 26 in 1938.
- Received insulin therapy for 62 years.
- Presented with notably absent microangiopathy and retinopathy.
Findings:
- A unique historical case of long-term insulin-treated type 1 diabetes.
- Absence of diabetic complications (retinopathy, microangiopathy) despite poor glycemic control.
- Remarkable resilience to diabetes-related vascular damage.
Implications:
- Suggests potential protective environmental or genetic factors in specific diabetes patients.
- Highlights the need for further research into mitigating diabetes complications.
- Provides insights into the long-term natural history of diabetes management.