Study investigates the role of ACE Inhibitors and Statins in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Congratulations to Prof John Deanfiled for his co-authorship on this paper recently published on the New England Journal of Medicine. Young people with type 1 diabetes have a very high chance of developing premature renal and cardiovascular disease. AdDIT is the largest prospective RCT evaluating the impact of ACE inhibitors and statins in teenagers with a high risk of future complications, and was conducted in three countries (UK, Canada, Australia). While it showed no benefit for either treatment on our primary outcome of albumin-creatinine ratio, there was a reduction in the incidence of microalbuminuria in patients treated with ACE inhibitors, as well as a broad reduction in cardiovascular risk factors with both ACE inhibitors and statins. Treatment was well-tolerated, and adherence over a median follow-up of 2.6 years was high. Current analyses are evaluating progression of complications in patients with a broad range of ‘risk’ categories, alongside the impact of therapies on these changes. Continued follow-up will also allow us to determine whether early intervention can reduce long-term complications.