In young people with type 1 diabetes the first direct evidence of vascular complications start to occur between the ages of 18-25 years. Most of the AdDIT cohort will fall into this age range over the next 5 years and we are keen to follow up as many as possible as they go into adult life. Participants will attend a yearly study visit, with a six month phone call in between. The assessments carried out at each visit are very similar to those completed in AdDIT. Recruitment is under way across all countries and sites.
The data collected during the 5-year AdDIT follow up period combined with those already collected during the AdDIT trial period will allow us to gain key information on:
- How frequent are kidney, eye and cardiovascular complications of diabetes
- The main risk factors (HbA1c, lipids, blood pressure) predisposing to the development of vascular complications during early adult life
- The effect of interventions with drugs reducing lipids (statins) and blood pressure (ACE inhibitors) on vascular complications during early adult life
- Identifications of new markers of complications, useful for an early identification of subjects at risk as well as potential new targets for the development of new drugs.
Altogether these data are important to develop new and more effective ways of preventing and treating vascular complications associated with type 1 diabetes!