Previous reviews of diabetic subjects using insulin for 50 years or more have been based on clinic populations or on individuals receiving medals to mark this achievement. We interviewed all 11 subjects who had been on insulin for 50 years or more, identified from a population-based register of insulin users in North Canterbury, New Zealand. Seven of the 11 subjects had required treatment for micro- or macrovascular disease, but the functional level of the majority of survivors was nevertheless high. Diabetes had a major social impact on only one of the subjects interviewed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.