Research: The number of people over 65 with type-1 diabetes has tripled in the last 30 years
According to an analysis of data from more than 200 countries and territories published in BMJ, a peer-reviewed medical journal of the British Medical Association, the number of people aged 65 and over with type 1 diabetes increased from 1.3 million in 1990 to 3.7 million in 2019, while mortality rates fell by 25%.
The researchers used data on people aged 65+ from the Global Burden of Disease and Risk Factors Study covering the period 1990-2019. The data were analyzed at global, regional and national levels by indicators of age, sex and socio-demographic status.
The results show that more people with type 1 diabetes are living longer, possibly due to improvements in treatment and care. In particular, the proportion of people aged 65+ living with type 1 diabetes increased by 28%, from 400 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 514 in 2019. This rate tripled in every age group between 65 and 94 years, particularly among men.
In contrast, deaths decreased by 25%, from 4.74 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 3.54 in 2019. Mortality rates decreased in all age groups, particularly among women and people under 79 years of age.
However, mortality rates fell 13 times faster in high-income countries than in low- and middle-income countries, highlighting the importance of significant global inequalities in diabetes care.
However, the researchers acknowledge that their estimates are largely based on modeling and that differences in health information systems and reporting methods across countries and regions may have affected the accuracy of the results.
