title: Epidemiological studies of diabetes mellitus in Denmark: 4. Clinical characteristics of insulin-treated diabetes.
abstract: We report the clinical characteristics of all insulin-treated diabetic patients (783 males and 716 females) living on July 1 1973 in a Danish county. In 18 patients diabetes was believed to be secondary to another disease or condition. Of all patients, 43% of the males and 55% of the females were greater than age 50 years and 42% and 36% of males and females, respectively, had a disease duration of less than 10 years. The overall proportion of patients treated permanently with insulin from diagnosis was 85% and 79% in males and females, respectively, but within the subgroup of patients with current age less than 30 years these proportions were 99% and 96%, respectively. Statistical analysis indicated that insulin-treated diabetes is a clinically heterogeneous group of diseases; thus, low age at onset combined with immediate and permanent insulin treatment delineate one subtype, while relatively high age at onset and late start and/or interruption of insulin treatment delineate other subtype(s). It is estimated that the proportion of patients with truly Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes is greater than 50% in this cross-sectional population of insulin-treated patients.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003718:Denmark; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007223:Infant; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin