Figure 2. Frequency of cystinosis complications, by duration of oral cysteamine therapy. One hundred adults with cystinosis received cysteamine for a certain period of time and then did not receive cysteamine for a defined period of time, and each patient had or did not have a specific complication at the time of admission. Duration of cysteamine therapy was grouped in 10-year increments. The frequencies of diabetes, myopathy, pulmonary dysfunction, and death increased with time off cysteamine therapy and decreased with time on cysteamine therapy.