Intensive treatment of type 1 diabetes.

There have been amazing advances for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. As clinicians proceed into the twenty-first century, it is appropriate to reflect both about accomplishments and about the prospects of improved therapeutic options. Regarding the former, perhaps no advance can be compared to the discovery of insulin. Since then, the improvements in therapy have appeared to be too slow for physicians, patients, and their families. In actuality, over the past 20 years, the pace for the development of new tools for the treatment of this once fatal disease has been remarkable. The treatment of type 1 diabetes has evolved with advances in the treatment of microvascular, neuropathic, and macrovascular complications. The future is even more promising, with the possibility of even preventing the disease before the development of hyperglycemia. The challenge for the present is teaching all individuals involved with the management of patients with type 1 diabetes to manage the condition as effectively as possible.