Diabetic control and hypoglycaemia in the Illawarra area of NSW, Australia: a comparison with the DCCT.
The level of diabetic control and the number of hypoglycaemic episodes in the intensively treated insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients of the Diabetes Control and Complication Trial (DCCT) are a stimulus for other centres to critically examine their results. We examined diabetic control and the number of hypoglycaemic episodes in an unselected group of patients with IDDM diabetes from a population based diabetes register in the Illawarra area of Australia. Eligible patients were insulin dependent, aged 13-39 years, diagnosed for more than 1 year and had had a HbA1c test in the previous 6 months. Better diabetic control was achieved in patients with IDDM, without the need for intensive insulin therapy, than the intensively treated patients of the DCCT with fewer hypoglycaemic events. Before intensive insulin therapy for all patients with IDDM is considered, different models of diabetic healthcare delivery and medical treatment philosophies need to be examined.
Moses
R
R
Diabetes Education Centre, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
Rodgers
D
D
Griffiths
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D003927:Diet, Diabetic; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin