Prevention of insulin-dependent diabetes-1995.

Despite current treatment advances, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDD) is still associated with high morbidity and mortality, and with a huge financial burden both to the individual and society. Enhanced understanding of the natural history of the prediabetic period has made the disease predictable in both higher risk nondiabetic relatives and in the general population. Investigators around the world are now collaborating on three separate multicenter, randomized, controlled trials aimed at preventing the disease in at-risk individuals, engendering cautious optimism that the days are not too far away when IDD can safely be prevented.