Diabetes
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Comparative Study
Improvements in the life expectancy of type 1 diabetes: the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications study cohort.
Survival in type 1 diabetes has improved, but the impact on life expectancy in the U. S. type 1 diabetes population is not well established. Our objective was to estimate the life expectancy of the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study cohort and quantify improvements by comparing two subcohorts based on year of diabetes diagnosis (1950-1964 [n = 390] vs. 1965-1980 [n = 543]). ⋯ Death occurred in 237 (60.8%) of the 1950-1964 subcohort compared with 88 (16.2%) of the 1965-1980 subcohort. The life expectancy at birth for those diagnosed 1965-1980 was ~15 years greater than participants diagnosed 1950-1964 (68.8 [95% CI 64.7-72.8] vs. 53.4 [50.8-56.0] years, respectively) (P < 0.0001); this difference persisted regardless of sex or pubertal status at diagnosis. This improvement in life expectancy emphasizes the need for insurance companies to update analysis of the life expectancy of those with childhood-onset type 1 diabetes because weighting of insurance premiums is based on outdated estimates.
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The impairment in diabetic wound healing represents a significant clinical problem. Chronic inflammation is thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of this impairment. We have previously shown that treatment of diabetic murine wounds with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can improve healing, but the mechanisms are not completely defined. ⋯ Decreased miR-146a levels also closely correlated with increased gene expression of its proinflammatory target genes. Furthermore, the correction of the diabetic wound-healing impairment with MSC treatment was associated with a significant increase in the miR-146a expression level and decreased gene expression of its proinflammatory target genes. These results provide the first evidence that decreased expression of miR-146a in diabetic wounds in response to injury may, in part, be responsible for the abnormal inflammatory response seen in diabetic wounds and may contribute to wound-healing impairment.