http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-research/summaries/pani-diabetes-progression.jsp
Early medical treatment for type 2 diabetes may slow its progression. However, many people with early diabetes remain untreated or are treated through diet and lifestyle measures alone. Diabetes may worsen at different rates in different people, and little is known about why or at what pace worsening of the disease may occur in patients whose A1C levels (a measure of long-term blood glucose control) are still fairly low and who do not yet take diabetes medicines.
More than 25 percent of the patients experienced worsening of their diabetes within 1 year. Of those, more than one-third remained untreated with medicines. Higher initial A1C levels, younger age, and weight gain were the factors most likely to be linked with worsening of diabetes. Of the patients whose diabetes did get worse, those who were younger and had higher LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels were more likely to begin taking a diabetes medicine. Having known heart disease did not increase a patient’s chance of being started on a diabetes medicine. |