A study published in Diabetes & Endocrinology suggests that individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at age 30 may experience a decline in life expectancy of up to 14 years. The study highlights the urgent need for interventions to prevent or delay diabetes onset, as rates of the disease continue to rise among younger adults worldwide.
A study revealed that Diabetes & Endocrinology reveals that individuals diagnosed with
type 2 diabetes at age 30 may experience a decline in
life expectancy of up to 14 years. The study published in Lancet underscored the critical need for interventions to prevent or delay diabetes onset, particularly as diabetes rates rise among younger adults globally.
The study suggested that those diagnosed at age 50 could see a reduction of up to six years, based on data from 19 high-income countries.
The escalating prevalence of type 2 diabetes worldwide is attributed to rising levels of obesity, poor dietary habits, and increased sedentary behavior. In 2021, an estimated 537 million adults globally had diabetes, with a growing number diagnosed at younger ages. Type 2 diabetes heightens the risk of complications such as heart attack, stroke, kidney problems, and cancer.
While previous estimates suggested a six-year average reduction in life expectancy for adults with type 2 diabetes, uncertainties persisted regarding how age at diagnosis influenced this reduction. Scientists from the University of Cambridge and University of Glasgow, UK, analyzed data from the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration and UK Biobank, totaling 1.5 million individuals.
The study found a correlation between earlier diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and a greater reduction in life expectancy. On average, each decade of earlier
diabetes diagnosis was associated with about four years of decreased life expectancy.
Using
US population data, it was estimated that individuals diagnosed at ages 30, 40, and 50 died about 14, 10, and 6 years earlier, respectively, than those without diabetes.
Estimates were slightly higher for women (16, 11, and 7 years earlier) than for men (14, 9, and 5 years earlier), with similar findings in EU data analyses. The majority of the reduced life expectancy linked to diabetes was due to vascular deaths, including heart attack, stroke, and aneurysms, while other complications like cancer also contributed.