Some Insulin-Producing Beta Cells May Persist In Long-Term Type 1 Diabetes Survivors.

Some Insulin-Producing Beta Cells May Persist In Long-Term Type 1 Diabetes Survivors.

HealthDay (8/18, Gordon) reported that, according to a study published online Aug. 10 in the journal Diabetes, "the insulin-producing beta cells destroyed by type 1 diabetes may actually be in a constant state of turnover, even in people who've had diabetes for decades." Researchers arrived at that conclusion after studying 114 people who had survived with type 1 diabetes for at least 50 years and conducting "a post-mortem pancreas analysis from another nine" people who had had type 1 diabetes for that time. The study's lead author stated, "In our study, we made the unexpected finding that about two-thirds of the [study participants] still retained the ability to have positive C-peptide results, which is an indication that they could still be making insulin."

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Dr. Wei-An Andy Lee
Clinical Endocrinologist
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Keck School of Medicine
University of Southern California

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