Long term prognosis: juvenile onset IDDM in Japan

The incidence of IDDM in children in Japan was found to be approximately 6 out of 100,000 in the child population of 6 to 15 years old. This prevalence is very low compared with those in Caucasian countries. Therefore, the history of management of childhood diabetes in Japan is short compared with that of western countries. Three studies which were carried out in Japan are reported and discussed in this report. The complications and prognosis of Type-1 Diabetes in Japan concluded as follows, 1) The long-term outcome of childhood diabetes was very poor. 2) The prevalence of microvascular complications were strongly related to the age of patients and the duration of diabetes. 3) The prevalence of retinopathy was dependent on the degree of diabetic control. But now, in Japan, we are using the intensive insulin therapy universally for childhood diabetes, and during recent ten years, the management and education of patients progressed rapidly. Therefore, the prognosis of childhood diabetes in Japan will improve.