JDRF - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Please note that this story deals with the diagnosis of a common diabetes health complication in a 24-year-old man who has type 1 diabetes - Ed.

Not many people have heard this story – until now. Of course my loved ones know that I have type 1 diabetes, but knowing I also have diabetes complications was something I did not wish for them.

It was June 1^st 2009, four days before my 24^th birthday, when the Ophthalmology Department at my nearest hospital told me I could be blind in two years or less. I will never forget that moment.

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Piloting an airplane used to be one of the career possibilities that was closed off to people with type 1 diabetes. Now, with strict medical guidelines to reach, those with type 1 diabetes can consider a career in the air.

The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has changed its regulations to allow people with type 1 diabetes to pilot planes in some circumstances.

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US-based clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of two new therapies for Diabetic Macular Edema.

Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) is a common health complication of type 1 diabetes and involves swelling in the centre of the retina (otherwise known as the macula). The swelling is caused by leaking blood vessels, damaged by periods of high blood glucose. People with macular edema lose their detailed vision and as such the ability to perform common daily activities. Severe damage results in legal blindness.

Laser therapy, the standard treatment for DME, has been used for almost 25 years. While it’s effective in early stage disease, new treatments are urgently needed for people with more aggressive forms of the condition. JDRF have been supporting a number of trials in this area, and in the last few months, results from two of these trials have shown promising results.

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Thirty years of data from international trials show that the rate of serious complications amongst people with type 1 diabetes is lower that was has been reported historically.

Researchers from the JDRF-funded Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and the Epidemiology of Diabetes Intervention and Complications Trial (EDIC) have analysed the incidence of long-term type 1 diabetes complications amongst trial participants and found that the rate of type 1 diabetes complications has changed dramatically, particularly for people who intensively manage their condition.

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New clinical trial data suggests certain blood pressure medications can significantly slow the progression of diabetic eye disease.

US researchers have published data from a five-year multi-center clinical trial that demonstrates that the use medications commonly used to treat high pressure can help to prevent and slow progression of diabetic retinopathy.

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A JDRF trial shows that continuous glucose monitor (CGM) devices help to maintain tight blood sugar levels whilst lowering the risk of dangerously low blood sugar.

There is extensive research to show that tight blood glucose control is the best way to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes complications such as kidney failure, retinopathy and heart disease. According to results from the Diabetes Complications and Control Trial, every one point reduction in HbA1C reduces the risk of long-term complications by approximately 40%.

Unfortunately, research has also shown that one of the hurdles to tight blood sugar control is the risk of hypoglycemia – both real and perceived.

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Stem cell therapy grows new blood vessels

JDRF-funded researchers in Canada have successfully used specially selected stem cells to grow new blood vessels to treat the vascular complications of diabetes.

Lead researcher Dr David Hess isolated and purified three different types of stem cell from bone marrow, then injected this compound into mice with major blood vessel damage. He found that the stem cells had a natural ability to hone into the area requiring repair, and treatment resulted in significantly improved blood flow for the mice.

This research is now being tested in a multi-centre clinical trial run by the biopharmaceutical company Aldagen.

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