Research

Hormonal

Intensive insulin therapy in Type 1 Diabetes causes significant weight gain, which subsequently increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic complications.

If you have Type 1 Diabetes, intensive insulin therapy is necessary for survival and complication prevention, but it will likely cause weight gain. Do not restrict insulin to control weight, as this leads to dangerous hyperglycemia and increased mortality. Instead, work with your care team to manage weight through lifestyle adjustments and potentially adjunctive therapies that do not compromise glycemic control.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
A key contributor to obesity in T1D is the weight gain that occurs with intensive insulin therapy... The DCCT demonstrated the importance of intensive insulin therapy for achieving optimal glycemic control... even with the demonstration of a clear association between intensive insulin therapy and weight gain, insulin is the foundation of T1D medical management.
Karen D. Corbin et al. · Endocrine Reviews · 2018

Why this rating

Supported by long-term observational data from DCCT/EDIC and multiple registry studies, though RCTs on weight specifically are limited.

Source

Obesity in Type 1 Diabetes: Pathophysiology, Clinical Impact, and Mechanisms

Karen D. Corbin et al. · Endocrine Reviews · 2018

DOI 10.1210/er.2017-00191

narrative_reviewCited 253×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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