Patients with type 1 diabetes who use insulin pump therapy face lower risk for cardiovascular death than those who take multiple daily injections, according to an observational study in the BMJ.
Swedish researchers used a national database to follow over 18,000 patients (mean age, roughly 40) for nearly 7 years; 13% were using insulin pumps, while the remainder took multiple daily injections of insulin. During the study period, some 1400 fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular events occurred. Compared with daily insulin injections, pump therapy was associated with significant reductions in fatal cardiovascular disease (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.58), fatal coronary heart disease (HR, 0.55) and all-cause mortality (HR, 0.73).
