Insulin pumps lower death rate

Type 1 diabetes

29 Jun 2015

Insulin pump therapy is associated with lower mortality rates compared with multiple daily injections in people with type 1 diabetes, a Swedish study reports.

The observational study of 18,000 patients with type 1 diabetes followed up for an average of almost 7 years found that insulin pump use was associated with a 42% lower risk of fatal cardiovascular disease and a 27% lower all-cause mortality compared with multiple daily injections.

This nationwide observational study of individuals with type 1 diabetes shows that treatment with an insulin pump was associated with a considerable reduction in risk of fatal coronary heart disease, fatal cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality,” the researchers wrote in the BMJ.

“Whether the results reflect the physiological consequences of insulin pump treatment, the clinical management that pump users receive, or the educational aspects of having the pump remains elusive,” they added.

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