University of Maryland researchers develop diabetes complication risk calculator

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have developed the Diabetes Complications Risk Calculator (DCRC), a new tool designed to predict short-term risks for various diabetes-related complications. Published in Nature Communications, the study utilized health data from over 400,000 adults in the United States who were newly diagnosed with diabetes.

Unlike existing tools that often focus on a single complication or long-term outcomes, the DCRC can simultaneously estimate the likelihood of nine different acute and chronic complications. These include cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney disease, nerve damage, eye disease, and blood sugar crises.

The system is designed to work within real-world clinical settings by using information already collected during routine medical care. This allows the calculator to provide updated risk estimates as new clinical data, medications, or laboratory results become available, helping clinicians manage patients who face multiple concurrent and competing health risks.