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Cited by 293Diabetes Management and ResearchDiabetes and associated disordersDiabetes Management and Education

Improvements in the Life Expectancy of Type 1 Diabetes

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Miller, Rachel G., Secrest, Aaron M., Sharma, Ravi K., Songer, Thomas J., Orchard, Trevor J.·2012·Diabetes
DOI 10.2337/db11-1625PMC PMC3478551
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Abstract

Survival in type 1 diabetes has improved, but the impact on life expectancy in the U.S. type 1 diabetes population is not well established. Our objective was to estimate the life expectancy of the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study cohort and quantify improvements by comparing two subcohorts based on year of diabetes diagnosis (1950-1964 [n = 390] vs. 1965-1980 [n = 543]). The EDC study is a prospective cohort study of 933 participants with childhood-onset (aged <17 years) type 1 diabetes diagnosed at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh from 1950 to 1980. Mortality ascertainment was censored 31 December 2009. Abridged cohort life tables were constructed to calculate life expectancy. Death occurred in 237 (60.8%) of the 1950-1964 subcohort compared with 88 (16.2%) of the 1965-1980 subcohort. The life expectancy at birth for those diagnosed 1965-1980 was ~15 years greater than participants diagnosed 1950-1964 (68.8 [95% CI 64.7-72.8] vs. 53.4 [50.8-56.0] years, respectively) (P < 0.0001); this difference persisted regardless of sex or pubertal status at diagnosis. This improvement in life expectancy emphasizes the need for insurance companies to update analysis of the life expectancy of those with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes because weighting of insurance premiums is based on outdated estimates.

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  • Due in part to the success of modern diabetes management, people with type 1 diabetes are living longer, and the population over 65 years of age is growing.

    “Due in part to the success of modern diabetes management, people with type 1 diabetes are living longer, and the population of these people over 65 years of age is growing (121-123).”

    From 13. Older Adults: <i>Standards of Care in Diabetes—2024</i> (2024) · cites this paper as [122]

    The Discussion (page unavailable) reports substantially improved life expectancy in the more recent childhood-onset type 1 diabetes cohort and identifies better treatment, glucose monitoring, and insulin administration as possible contributors. It does not report that the population with type 1 diabetes over age 65 is growing. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Due in part to the success of modern diabetes management, people with type 1 diabetes are living longer, and the population of these people over 65 years of age is growing.

    “Due in part to the success of modern diabetes management, people with type 1 diabetes are living longer, and the population of these people over 65 years of age is growing (136-138).”

    From 13. Older Adults: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2025 (2025) · cites this paper as [137]

    The Abstract reports that life expectancy was about 15 years greater in the Pittsburgh cohort diagnosed in 1965–1980 than in the cohort diagnosed in 1950–1964. The Discussion identifies improved treatment, glucose monitoring, and insulin administration as possible contributors. The paper does not establish that the population of people with type 1 diabetes over age 65 is growing. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Due in part to the success of modern diabetes management, people with type 1 diabetes are living longer, and the population of people over 65 years with type 1 diabetes is growing.

    “Due in part to the success of modern diabetes management, people with type 1 diabetes are living longer, and the population of people over 65 years with type 1 diabetes is growing (154–156).”

    From 13. Older Adults: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026 (2026) · cites this paper as [155]

    The Abstract reports that life expectancy was about 15 years greater in the Pittsburgh cohort diagnosed in 1965–1980 than in the cohort diagnosed in 1950–1964. The Discussion identifies improved treatment and diabetes management as potential contributors. The paper does not establish that the population of people over 65 with type 1 diabetes is growing. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • There is still no consensus on whether LADA represents a less aggressive version of T1DM, a mixture of T1DM and T2DM, or a separate entity.

    “There is still no consensus on whether LADA represents a less aggressive version of T1DM, a mixture of T1DM and T2DM, or a separate entity7.”

    From The epidemiology of type 1 diabetes mellitus in older adults (2025) · cites this paper as [7]

    The Research Design and Methods and Discussion passages concern survival and life expectancy in childhood-onset type 1 diabetes. Searches for LADA and for the proposed relationship between type 1 and type 2 diabetes found no passage addressing LADA’s classification or whether there is a consensus. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The overall prevalence of type 1 diabetes is higher in adults than in children.

    “Although the incidence peaks in puberty and early adulthood, new-onset type 1 diabetes occurs in all age-groups and people with type 1 diabetes live for many decades after onset of the disease, such that the overall prevalence of type 1 diabetes is higher in adults than in children, justifying our focus on type 1 diabetes in adults (1).”

    From The management of type 1 diabetes in adults. A consensus report by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) (2021) · cites this paper as [1]

    The Abstract reports life expectancy in a cohort with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes, which supports the surrounding point that people can live for decades after diagnosis. Neither it nor the retrieved passages compare type 1 diabetes prevalence in adults and children (searched: prevalence, adults, children, age distribution). (LLM, conf=0.73)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

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Sorted by citations

Authors
Miller, R. G., Secrest, A. M., Sharma, R. K., Songer, T. J., & Orchard, T. J.
Affiliations
University of Pittsburgh (US)
Corresponding author
Orchard, Trevor J.
ORCID
Venue
Diabetes
Publisher
American Diabetes Association
Published
2012-10-16
Volume
61
Issue
11
Pages
2987-2992
ISSN
  • 0012-1797 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-327X
DOI
10.2337/db11-1625
PMC
PMC3478551
OpenAlex
W2112770241
Cited by
293
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 1
FWCI
15.14
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Diabetes (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • American Diabetes Association
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK034818)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Management and Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Diabetes and associated disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Management and Education
Keywords
type 1 diabetes, life expectancy, mortality, childhood-onset diabetes, Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study, life tables, pubertal stage, sex differences
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Hospitals, Pediatric, Hospitals, Urban, Humans, Infant, Life Expectancy, Male, Pennsylvania, Prospective Studies, Cohort Studies, Life Tables, Survival Analysis

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