E-newsletter for Patients - April 2008

News & Research

Risk is deadly for Type 1 women who restrict insulin

Women with type 1 diabetes who cut back on insulin to prevent weight gain face a threefold higher risk of dying early in life. The study highlights the risk involved in restricting insulin, a practice that often goes hand in hand with an eating disorder, says Ann Goebel-Fabbri, a psychologist at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston and head of the study. Those with type 1, especially young women, cut back on insulin and then use other strategies such as fasting to stay thin.

The study included 234 women and teens with type 1 diabetes. At the beginning of the study, the researchers found that 30% of the women were restricting the amount of insulin they took at least some of the time. The research team kept track of the women for 11 years and noted any deaths or complications from their disease. The research showed that women who reported cutting back on insulin had higher rates of complications such as foot problems and kidney disease. The team also noted that women who cut down on insulin were more likely to die young. Women who restricted insulin died on average at age 45, says the study in the March issue of Diabetes Care.

Women who skipped insulin shots and then died during the study also had more symptoms of eating disorders such as bulimia. Other studies have shown that women who have diabetes are 2 ½ times more likely to develop an eating disorder than women who don't. Those with diabetes who skip insulin shots can eat more and still not gain weight since the body will excrete the excess sugar in the urine. However, this method of purging calories from the body is not without dire consequences. If you know of someone who has an eating disorder and diabetes, please encourage them to get immediate help from a health professional.