Refuting the UGDP Conclusion that Insulin Treatment does not Prevent Vascular Complications in Diabetes

Abstract

If the “late” complications of diabetes are indeed the direct and/or indirect consequences of insulin deficiency, we would anticipate that therapeutic measures which effectively normalize blood glucose levels should reduce the frequency and severity of cardiovascular complications associated with diabetes. Therapeutic measures which substantially reduce blood glucose levels but fall short of achieving euglycemia might also be expected to reduce cardiovascular complications if the relationship between the two is linear, but not necessarily if the relationship is more complex.