Diabetes therapy effective long-term

A study entitled the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, carried out several years ago, has revisited its study group to find out the effectiveness of their intensive therapy treatment. According to a report published in Diabetes Care, the treatment is still positively affecting the study group.
The study consisted of just over 1,250 subjects who were originally assigned either intensive or conventional treatment. Intensive therapy was centred on three insulin injections per day, whereas conventional therapy only administered two. The subjects were followed for six and a half years, and were then all encouraged to use intensive therapy. The group were then evaluated on an annual basis.
The members of the group who had been on intensive therapy from the start had lower levels, symptoms and signs of neuropathy than those who had begun with the conventional therapy. The benefits of the treatment were shown to persist for 8 years after the end of treatment.
This study highlights the close relationship between strict blood sugar control and neuropathy. The authors of the study concluded that intensive therapy does have a durable effect on neuropathy. Similar trends for diabetic kidney disease and eye disease have been noted in similar studies.