Type 1 Diabetes and Mortality: What a Large Study Reveals About Modern Care

Researchers from Maccabi Healthcare Services, a large health network, examined mortality rates among people diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes between 2000 and 2022. The study included 4,299 people diagnosed before age 35 and compared them to nearly 17,200 people without diabetes who were matched by age and sex. Follow-up continued through 2023, capturing real-world outcomes across more than two decades.

The researchers found that people with Type 1 diabetes had a mortality rate of 131 deaths per 100,000 person-years, compared to 35 deaths per 100,000 person-years among the matched comparison group. This means Type 1 diabetes was associated with approximately 3.7 times higher mortality risk overall.

One of the most encouraging findings was a clear trend toward lower excess mortality in more recent years. For people diagnosed between 2000 and 2010, the mortality risk was about 4.4 times higher than the comparison group. For those diagnosed between 2011 and 2022, this risk dropped to about 2.9 times higher.

This improvement likely reflects advances in diabetes care technologies and management strategies introduced over the past decade, including better continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps, and management algorithms.

The study found that women with Type 1 diabetes faced a greater relative increase in mortality risk compared to men—about 8.4 times higher versus 2.9 times higher, respectively. However, in terms of absolute numbers, men had higher actual mortality rates.

This difference suggests that Type 1 diabetes may pose different health challenges for men and women, though the reasons require further investigation. The finding underscores the importance of sex-specific research in understanding how diabetes affects different populations.

This large, real-world study demonstrates that while Type 1 diabetes remains associated with increased mortality risk, the situation is improving. The narrowing gap between those diagnosed recently and earlier cohorts points to the measurable impact of modern diabetes care technologies and therapies.

The findings support continued investment in and access to advanced diabetes care tools, while also highlighting the need for personalized approaches, especially for women. As technologies continue to evolve, further improvements in outcomes are possible.

Source: Diabetes care. Evidence type: PubMed indexed literature. Type1Cure is an information and intelligence hub, not a medical advice service. This article summarizes published research and does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical guidance. Always talk to your own care team before changing anything about your Type 1 diabetes management.