Technological advancements and greater access to health insurance may herald good news for those suffering from type 1 diabetes.

According to the source a recent study shows the life expectancy for those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes has risen from 53.4 years for those diagnosed between 1950 and 1964 to 68.8 years for those who discovered they had the ailment between 1965 and 1980.

Type 1 diabetes, sometimes called juvenile diabetes, is a condition often found in younger persons where the body does not produce insulin, which is necessary to convert sugar into energy, according to the American Diabetes Association. While many people benefit from insulin therapy, other preventative measures may have impacted overall survival rates.

The ADA has previously recommended preventative measures such as weight loss, blood pressure control and smoking cessation in order to curb the effects of diabetes. Many health insurance companies have created programs for diabetics that follow this model, and such efforts may have changed things for the better.

Joel Zonszein of Montefiore Medical Center in New York told USA Today that he felt the recent findings were a sign of better days ahead.

"Our patients are doing much better," he said. "The morbidity is also much less. I think this study is very reassuring."