VOLUME 10 NUMBER 3 • SEPTEMBER 2013
111
SA JOURNAL OF DIABETES & VASCULAR DISEASE
EASD WATCH
Blood sugar control in type 1 diabetes: European study suggests gender bias in adults..............................111
Improvements in life expectancy in Scottish patients with type 1 diabetes..................................................111
Social deprivation is a key mortality factor in type 1 diabetes.....................................................................111
Mortality is increased when using sulfonylureas as first-line therapy in type 2 diabetes...............................112
Obesity is associated with lower mortality in older patients with type 2 diabetes........................................112
DPP-4 inhibitor trial data...........................................................................................................................112
SAVOR TIMI 53 study................................................................................................................................112
EXAMINE Cardiovascular Safety Outcomes trial.........................................................................................112
2013 UPDATE FROM BARCELONA, SPAIN
European Association for the Study of Diabetes
23–27 September 2013
Contributor:
G Hardy
SUMMARIES
EASD WATCH
Blood sugar control in type 1
diabetes: European study suggests
gender bias in adults
Analysis of data from 142 260 children and
adult patients from 12 countries (predomi-
nantly European, also including New Zea-
land and the United States) has indicated
that men with type 1 diabetes were better
than women at controlling their blood sugar
levels. However there was no significant dif-
ference in control between boys and girls.
Retrospective research from population-
based registers and clinical databases ana-
lysed blood sugar control over the previous
12 to 24 months, comparing the propor-
tions of women and men with HbA
1c
levels
≥ 7.5%, adjusted for age and duration of
diabetes across three age strata: paediatric
(< 15 years), young adult (15–29 years) and
adult (≥ 30 years).
Proportions of people with worse control
as implied by HbA
1c
levels ≥ 7.5% ranged
from64.4% in boys to 74.0% in young adult
women. No statistically significant gender
difference was found in the paediatric pop-
ulation; however young adult women were
8% more likely to miss target than men of
the same age, and of those older than 30
years, women were 6% more likely to miss
target than men of the same age.
Prof Sarah Wild, University of Edinburgh,
commented that one explanation for this
phenomenon could be that women tend to
have lower haemoglobin levels than men.
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130923200309.htm
Improvements in life expectancy
in Scottish patients with type 1
diabetes
A study from the UK reveals that for people
with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) who live in
Scotland, life expectancy has improved
substantially. Prof Helen Colhoun noted
TABLE OF CONTENTS
in a presentation on behalf of the Scottish
Diabetes Research Network, that histori-
cally, those with T1DM have been reported
to have a reduced life expectancy, but there
are little contemporary data available.
Given advances in medical care in recent
years, Prof Colhoun and colleagues sought to
determine current life expectancy in people
with T1DM in Scotland. Nearly all individuals
with diabetes in Scotland are registered with
the Scottish Care Information – Diabetes Col-
laboration database. Data extracted from this
database was linked with death data from
the General Register to assess remaining life
expectancy.
For those with T1DM aged 20 to 24 years,
remaining life expectancy was 45 years for
men and 47 years for women, compared to
56 and 61 years, respectively for the general
male and female population. Remaining life
expectancy for those aged 65 to 69 years
was estimated at 12 years for both men
and women, compared to 17 and 19 years,
respectively for the general population.
The difference in remaining life expect-
ancy between those with T1DM and the gen-
eral population reduced with increasing age.
However, the substantial gap in life expect-
ancy between those with T1DM and the gen-
eral population needs to be addressed.
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expectancy-for-type-1-diabetes-sufferers-in-scotland-
95744377.html
Social deprivation is a key mortality
factor in type 1 diabetes
Dr Stephen Thomas of Guy’s and St Thomas’
Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust report that
social deprivation is an independent risk
factor for mortality in people with type 1
diabetes. Social deprivation represents a
combination of poverty, lack of access to
healthcare facilities, lack of education, and
other factors.
The Diabetes Clinical Academic Group
analysed demographic and health resource
utilisation data, as well as biochemical
data of 1 038 T1DM patients attending
two London specialist diabetes outpatient
clinics, collected over a 10-year period. Of
deceased patients, 61% represented the
poorest 20% of the population range, as
determined using the index of multiple
deprivation (IMD).
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EASDEndo/41859
Mortality is increased when using
sulfonylureas as first-line therapy
in type 2 diabetes
Prof Craig Currie, University of Cardiff,
says that it may no longer be appropriate
to offer sulfonylureas as first-line treatment
in the patient with type 2 diabetes. New
research indicates a higher mortality rate in
