«Out of sight, out of mind?», or Transferring adolescents with type 1 diabetes to an adult network

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is a chronic disease with each age period specific features, which should be taken into account for achieving glycemic targets. There are many publications about the transition of patients from pediatric medical system in the adult's service, but most of them still have insufficient evidence based on subjective expert opinion or on clinical centered experience. According to the definition adopted by the Society of Adolescent Medicine, the term «transition» refers to a purposeful, planned and timely transition from a pediatric, family-oriented system of medical care to an «adult», patient-centered system. It is known that incorrect transition can lead to patient's «falling out» of medical supervision system and errors in transition have a negative effect on the overall morbidity and mortality, frequency of severe hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis in the first year after the transition to the adult's service in young adults with T1D. In addition to the increased risk of acute complications of T1D, many authors associate the transition with an increasing occurrence/ progression of chronic complications of diabetes due to the deterioration of metabolic control. To reduce such risks, the transition of adolescents with T1D to the adult's service should be well-timed, continuous and prepared, and now it's time to develop regional structured transfer programs for preserving health and improving the quality of life for a large number of our patients.

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