A NEW study published in the BMJ has revealed that people with type 1 diabetes are living longer, though significant global inequalities remain in diabetes care.
The number of individuals aged 65 and older with type 1 diabetes increased from 1.3 million in 1990 to 3.7 million in 2019.
During the same period, death rates fell by 25%, from 4.7 to 3.5 per 100,000 population.
While the overall results indicate improved longevity, the decline in death rates was much more pronounced in high-income countries compared to low and middle-income countries.
Death rates decreased 13 times faster in wealthier nations, highlighting substantial disparities in diabetes care worldwide.
Type 1 diabetes is traditionally considered a disease that can severely shorten life expectancy, yet recent studies have reported an increasing number of elderly individuals with type 1 diabetes, likely due to improved treatments and care.
The study, led by researchers in China, utilised data from the Global Burden of Disease and Risk Factors Study 2019 to estimate prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to type 1 diabetes among those aged 65 and older from 204 countries between 1990 and 2019.
The age-standardised DALYs due to type 1 diabetes decreased by only 8.9%, indicating that while more people are living longer, the quality of life improvements are not as significant.
The highest prevalence of type 1 diabetes was found in high-income regions such as North America, Australasia, and Western Europe.
In contrast, the highest DALY rates were in Southern Sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and the Caribbean.
Researchers are calling for better health resource allocation, targeted guidelines, and further study to address these inequalities and improve diabetes care for ageing populations globally. JG
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