The Influence of Partial Remission Phase of Type 1 Diabetes on Patient Outcome

Overview

Natural course of diabetes mellitus involves gradual reduction of β cell mass within islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Symptoms of diabetes present when the mass of insulin-producing cells reaches a point where insulin concentration does not suffice to maintain proper glycaemia. In many patients β cells regenerate shortly after the diagnosis of diabetes and initiation of insulin therapy. This phenomenon is called a remission. The aim of this study is to asses the influence of occurrence and duration of remission on development of chronic complications of diabetes and patients outcome.

Natural course of diabetes mellitus involves gradual reduction of β cell mass within islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Symptoms of diabetes present when the mass of insulin-producing cells reaches a point where insulin concentration does not suffice to maintain proper glycaemia. In many patients β cells regenerate shortly after the diagnosis of diabetes and initiation of insulin therapy. This phenomenon is called a remission. The aim of this study is to asses influence of occurrence and duration of remission on development of chronic complications of diabetes and patients outcome. Clinical remission was defined as time in which all of the following criteria were met: HbA1c below 6.5 % , dose of exogenous insulin below 0.3 U / kg body weight and serum C-peptide concentration above 0.5 ng / ml. Patients were divided into those who were in remission at any time during follow-up (remitters) and non-remitters. At follow-up occurrence of chronic microvascular complications of diabetes (retinopathy, diabetic kidney disease and neuropathy) was evaluated.

Conditions