Study: how long-term blood sugar levels (measured by A1C) affected the risk of diabetes-related complications of children into adulthood.
by Integrated Diabetes ServicesBetween 1990 and 1992, researchers enrolled 43 children diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes before age 6. They followed these children for about 30 years to see how long-term blood sugar levels (measured by A1C) affected the risk of diabetes-related complications in adulthood.
Key findings:
- Blood sugar control often got harder during the teen years.
- High blood sugar in adolescence usually continues into adulthood.
- Teens with higher blood sugar were more likely to develop nerve problems later on.
- The connection to eye or kidney problems was less clear.
Study numbers:
- 30 participants were followed for nearly 30 years.
- About 1 in 3 developed nerve damage, nearly 2 in 3 had eye issues, and 1 in 10 had kidney problems.
- Average A1C levels were highest during the teen years.
- Large blood sugar spikes in adolescence strongly predicted nerve damage later in life.
Takeaway:
Even if a child has good blood sugar control early on, high blood sugar during the teen years can increase the risk of nerve damage as an adult. Adolescence is a critical time for support, guidance, and encouragement in managing diabetes. Helping teens build healthy habits and stay on top of their blood sugar can have lasting benefits that carry well into adulthood.
Moran, C., Collyer, T. A., Brown, A., Sakowski, S. A., Srikanth, V., Northam, E. A., Beare, R., Feldman, E. L., & Cameron, F. J. (2025). Associations between HbA1c and complications in children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes before age 6: A 30‑year follow‑up study. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 112447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112447
