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Friday 18 November 2011

Intensive Diabetes Therapy Protects Type 1 Diabetics' Kidneys, Study Shows

People with type 1 diabetes are at high risk of developing kidney disease, but no therapies are proven to prevent impaired kidney function in these patients.

Over an average of 22 years in DCCT/EDIC, intensive therapy was more effective at preserving long-term kidney function in study participants. A total of 24 participants assigned to intensive therapy and 46 assigned to conventional therapy developed impaired kidney function, meaning that intensive diabetes therapy reduced patients' risk by 50%. Of those with impaired kidney function, 8 assigned to intensive therapy and 16 assigned to conventional therapy developed kidney failure.

"This study demonstrates that impaired kidney function can be prevented in type 1 diabetes and reinforces the importance of maintaining good glucose control early in the course of type 1 diabetes to prevent long-term kidney complications," said Dr. de Boer.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111112145357.htm

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great news, the DCCT/Edic trial continues to show that the those in the intensive control group did better, with reductions in all forms of diabetic complications The intensive group were those that used multiple injections or an insulin pump coupled with frequent testing, whereas the conventionally treated used the now rather older method of 2-3 injections a day. We are fortunate that many of us now use this highly successful method of delivering appropriate medication

Of course diet is also importantt, so it's not surprising that researchers have also investigated this aspect using the DCCT data .

"Among intensively treated patients with type 1 diabetes, diets higher in fat and saturated fat and lower in carbohydrate are associated with worse glycemic control, independent of exercise and BMI"
http://www.ajcn.org/content/89/2/518.full

Similarly when they investigated retinopathy progression and diet in the DCCT. They found that cholesterol and dietary fat (particularly SAT and MUFA)were positively correlated with retinopathy progression.
Carbohydrate, protein and fibre were inversely correlated.
Diet and Diabetic Retinopathy: Insights From the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). David K. Cundiff et all
TOPF

PS
One thing you should understand is that post hoc analysis like many of those done on the DCCT, scientifically don't prove anything. They can be used to formulate hypothesess. I know what mine is!

Lowcarb team member said...

What ever way you look at it, this looks like good news to me.

"This study demonstrates that impaired kidney function can be prevented in type 1 diabetes and reinforces the importance of maintaining good glucose control early in the course of type 1 diabetes to prevent long-term kidney complications,"



Eddie