Weight gain has mixed effect on type 1 diabetes

Adding a few pounds may improve control of blood sugar in type 1 diabetes but cause problems with cholesterol and blood pressure, researchers report.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. The body needs insulin to help the cells use glucose (blood sugar) for energy.
Unlike type 2 diabetes, a metabolic disorder, obesity is not a contributing factor in type 1 diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes often have thin or average builds, but those who do become overweight can develop insulin resistance, a trait of type 2 diabetes. The formation of insulin resistance in someone with type 1 diabetes is known as "double diabetes."
European researchers studied 3,250 type 1 patients in the EURODIAB Prospective Complications Study and re-examined 1,800 after an average of about seven years. The patients' glycemic control was measured with a blood test called the HbA1c (glycohemoglobin) test.
The scientists found that those who gained at least 11 pounds (5 kilograms) over the years had better glycohemoglobin results than the others but also had worse outcomes in blood pressure, triglycerides, "good" HDL cholesterol and "bad" LDL cholesterol.
The investigators concluded that weight gain in people with type 1 diabetes could slightly improve glucose management but also raised blood pressure and caused unhealthy levels of blood fats (dyslipidemia).
The study was published this month in the journal Diabetic Medicine.