Physical Function in Middle-aged and Older Adults with Type 1 Diabetes: Long-term Follow-up of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Study

Objective: To describe the prevalence and clinical correlates of functional limitations in middle-aged and older adults with long-standing type 1 diabetes. Research Design and Methods: Functional limitations were assessed for 1,094 participants in the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) study, a multi-center, longitudinal, observational follow-up of participants with type 1 diabetes randomly assigned to intensive or conventional diabetes therapy during the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). The primary outcome measure was a score . Results: Fifty-three percent of participants were male. The mean age was 59.5±6.8 years and mean diabetes duration was 37.9±4.9 years. The prevalence of SPPB score Conclusions: Almost half of the middle-aged and older adults with long-standing type 1 diabetes reported functional limitations, which were associated with higher HbA1c and BMI, general psychological distress, and cardiac autonomic neuropathy. Future research is needed to determine if these findings are generalizable.