Healthy aging refers to functional ability that enables well-being in older individuals. The focus thus shifts from chronological age to functional capacity and the individual's own experience of well-being. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition characterized by elevated blood glucose levels, which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and premature death. However, the life expectancy of individuals with type 1 diabetes has significantly improved due to advances in diabetes care. There is limited research on aging with type 1 diabetes, and this study is at the forefront of addressing this gap by examining aging-and especially healthy aging-in type 1 diabetes from multiple perspectives. The goals are to investigate how individuals with type 1 diabetes age and what their functional capacity is compared to individuals without insulin-treated diabetes. The other aim is to identify factors in midlife that predict healthy aging in people with type 1 diabetes.
Ageing with type 1 diabetes is an emerging challenge due to improved life-expectancy of people with type 1 diabetes. While those who survive to an older age are considered survivors, the many years with type 1 diabetes and the chronic dysglycaemia inevitably also has negative health impacts on people living with this chronic disease. With scarce research in this area, ageing in type 1 diabetes has been identified as a research gap. With this study, the aim is to assess the impact of ageing in people with type 1 diabetes via thorough characterization of older adults with type 1 diabetes, in comparison to matched controls. This will be accomplished through a comprehensive assessment of the participants' metabolic profile, body composition, vascular health, autonomic function, and a geriatric assessment focusing on the functional ability of the participants. In addition, this study will assess what type of challenges older adults with type 1 diabetes face regarding self-management, diabetes care, and daily life. This study is a sub-study of the national Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study, initiated in 1997 and including adults with type 1 diabetes. Individuals over 65 living in the Helsinki capital area will now be invited for a regular FinnDiane study visit, as well as an additional visit for a geriatric assessment. The aim is to study 300 FinnDiane study participants and recruit a minimum of 100 matched controls. This cohort will be prospectively followed with a revisit after three to five years.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
400
HUS Helsinki University Hospital
Helsinki, Finland
Healthy ageing in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus
Key Characteristics and Clinical Implications of healthy aging in individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus
Time frame: From initial enrollment in the FinnDiane Study until the LifeOne follow-up visit after three to five years.
Physical capacity
The locomotor domain of the individual's intrinsic capacity, based on the framework for healthy ageing.
Time frame: From initial enrollment in the FinnDiane Study until the LifeOne follow-up visit after three to five years.
Cognitive function
The cognitive domain of the individual's intrinsic capacity, based on the framework for healthy ageing.
Time frame: From initial enrollment in the FinnDiane Study until the LifeOne follow-up visit after three to five years.
Psychological well-being
The psychological domain of the individual's intrinsic capacity, based on the framework for healthy ageing.
Time frame: From initial enrollment in the FinnDiane Study until the LifeOne follow-up visit after three to five years.
Vitality
The vitality domain of the individual's intrinsic capacity, based on the framework for healthy ageing.
Time frame: From initial enrollment in the FinnDiane Study until the LifeOne follow-up visit after three to five years.
Sensory function
The sensory domain of the individual's intrinsic capacity, based on the framework for healthy ageing.
Time frame: From initial enrollment in the FinnDiane Study until the LifeOne follow-up visit after three to five years.
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