On 21st September, JDRF, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, launched the Type 1 Diabetes Index (T1D Index). The T1D Index is a first-of-its-kind data simulation tool that measures the human and public health impact of the T1D crisis in every country across the globe.

● T1D causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all, meaning the human body cannot convert food into energy.
● Certain factors like family history can increase risk, but it is not caused by diet or lifestyle.
● If left undiagnosed and untreated T1D can lead to long-term complications and even premature death.
● There is currently no cure for T1D.
Until now, there have been wide gaps in the data about the incidence and impact of T1D. Leveraging data and insights from the T1D Index can help change the lives of people living with T1D by identifying attainable country-by-country interventions including timely diagnosis, accessible care and funding research that could lead to cures.
T1D is an autoimmune condition and one of the fastest-growing chronic health conditions impacting nearly nine million people across the globe.
PDGN Secretary General, Adrian Sanders, (himself Type 1) commented: “This is a most significant aid for type 1 diabetes advocacy and will assist any interested Parliamentarian now and into the future given the plan to keep it up to date with the latest data.
“The Index uniquely illuminates the human burden of T1D by highlighting “missing people” and “healthy years lost” to the condition”.
“Missing people” refers to the number of people who would still be alive today if they hadn’t died early due to complications from the condition. “Healthy years lost” means the time lost to ill-health, disability or early death from living with T1D. It presents a more complete picture of the burden of T1D, including treatment, doctor visits and other management activities.
According to the Index, globally the average number of healthy years lost to T1D per person (if diagnosed at age 10) is 32 years.
The Index also poses “what if” scenarios that predict the lifetime impact of T1D, and what can be done to lessen the number of missing people and healthy years lost.
The Index simulation is informed by 400+ publications around the globe and a global survey of more than 500 endocrinologists. These data sources have been fitted to mathematical and machine-learning models that speak to:
● Rates of new cases.
● The risk of complications and mortality.
● Prevailing standards of medical care.
The Index was developed collaboratively by JDRF, Life for a Child, International Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD), International Diabetes Foundation (IDF), and Beyond Type 1, and is supported by PDGN.
To access the Index, go here: https://www.t1dindex.org/