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Abstract:
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The DCCT assessed whether elevated levels of glucose were the root cause of the retinal and renal microvascular complications that lead to blindness and renal failure. During 1983--1993, 1441 subjects followed for an average of 6.5 years showed that intensive therapy aimed at maintaining nearly normal levels of blood glucose, compared to conventional therapy with higher glucose levels, markedly reduced the risk of progression of retinopathy and nephropathy, among other outcomes. Epidemiologic analyses demonstrated that virtually all of these beneficial effects were explained by the differences in the levels of glucose achieved. Follow-up of the cohort since 1993 shows that the initial period of intensive therapy during the DCCT had long-lasting beneficial effects on these microvascular complications, as well as the evolution of cardiovascular disease, up to 14 years later.
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