Type 1 Diabetes Index

The T1D Index is the first-of-its-kind data simulation tool that measures the health impact of T1D

We are glad to announce the launch of the 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 worldwide.

It is a collaborative development by Breakthrough T1D, Life for a Child, the International Diabetes Federation, Beyond Type 1, and ISPAD.

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. 

The Index uniquely illuminates the human burden of T1D by highlighting “missing people,” which is the number of people who would still be alive today if they had not died early due to complications from T1D, and “healthy years lost,” which represents time lost to ill-health, disability or early death from living with T1D. 

Simulations from the T1D Index suggest that globally, as of 2022, there are more than 3.86 million “missing people” and an average of 32 “healthy years lost” to T1D per person if diagnosed at age 10.  

T1D has a profound human, emotional, and financial burden for those who live with it, and its prevalence is on the rise.

Simulations from the T1D Index have led to the identification of four key interventions that could change the current trajectory for T1D and its impact on people around the world:

  • Timely diagnosis: Enabling better education and training for medical professionals to diagnose T1D accurately. If the global population has access to timely diagnosis from 2023, 668,000 more people could be alive in 2040. 
  • Insulin and strips: Creating barrier-free access to insulin and blood glucose testing strips. If the global population has access to insulin and testing strips from 2023 and coaching to self-manage the condition, 1.98 million more people could be alive in 2040.
  • Pumps and CGMs: Ensure everyone with T1D has access to technology that automates glucose monitoring and insulin delivery. If everyone with T1D had access to the technology available from 2023, 673,000 more people could be alive in 2040. 
  • Prevention and cures: Making the case for further investment and research in emerging prevention, treatments, and cures. If we find cures, 890,000 more people could be alive in 2040.

Once interventions are identified on the global and country level, the T1D Index encourages users to take action by sharing the data and findings with their networks and local decision-makers and connecting with other T1D advocates in their communities. Additionally, the T1D Index shines a light on important statistics about the burden of T1D globally, including:
 

  • Since 2000, T1D prevalence has increased at four times the rate of global population growth.

  • The expected number of people living with T1D in 2040 will be 17.43 million. 

  • The number of “missing people” in the year 2040 is projected to be 6.85 million.

The T1D Index data simulations are the best estimate currently available, with version 1.0 testing to +/-6 percent against real-world data. This is a significant improvement from leading existing estimates that test to +/-35 percent against the same data. Abbott, the founding corporate sponsor, supports the T1D Index, with additional support from Lilly, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

In future releases, the Index will expand to include T1D’s impact on economic costs, mental health, and quality of life. The data will also be broken down at regional and demographic levels.

How was the T1D Index developed?

The simulation is informed by 400+ publications around the globe (dating back to 1890) 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 T1D Index simulations provide the most accurate estimate of T1D currently available, with version 1.0 testing to +/- 6 percent against real-world data. This is a significant improvement from leading existing estimates that test to +/- 35 percent against the same data

The T1D Index and accompanying research have been published in one of the most trusted medical journals, The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. 

You can dive deeper into the details here:

You can learn more about the T1D Index here. 

 

Other Important Documentation: