There have been few follow-up studies on diabetes for a long period in Japan.
The results of the present study were as follows:
1) Only 319 patients among 725 diabetics treated in our clinic in a period from 1956 to 1961 could be subjected for the follow-up study over 5 years, because remaining 406 cases had lost the contact with our clinic or died within 5 years.
2) In 1966, only 120 subjects among 319 diabetics followed-up were visisting regularly our clinic.
3) About 40% cases of the total 319 diabetics in the follow-up study had been treated with insulin over 5 years. Cases using insulin among the follow-up cases seemed more frequent than those among patients who failed to be followed-up.
4) Forty-three diabetics among 319 cases died after the follow-up over 5 years. Main causes of the death were cerebro-vascular diseases and malignant tumors in the male diabetics and nephropathies in the female diabetics in our cases.