Effects of Insulin in Relatives of Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

It is unknown whether insulin therapy can delay or prevent diabetes in nondiabetic relatives of patients with diabetes.

In a randomized, controlled, nonblinded clinical trial, we screened 84,228 first-degree and second-degree relatives of patients with diabetes for islet-cell antibodies; 3152 tested positive; 2103 of the 3152 underwent genetic, immunologic, and metabolic staging to quantify their risk; 372 of the 2103 had a projected five-year risk of more than 50 percent; 339 of the 372 (median age, 11.2 years) were randomly assigned to undergo either close observation or an intervention that consisted of low-dose subcutaneous ultralente insulin, administered twice daily for a total dose of 0.25 unit per kilogram of body weight per day, plus annual four-day continuous intravenous infusions of insulin. Oral glucose-tolerance tests were performed every six months. Median follow-up was 3.7 years. The primary end point was a diagnosis of diabetes.