A new study finds that a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes may affect life expectancy.
< br>New study showing how many years a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes shortens your life, depending on when you were diagnosed.
“For example, if a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at age 30, human life expectancy is reduced by as much as 14 years,” says endocrinologist Antonina Gureeva, commenting on the study specifically for MedicForum.
A team of researchers has found that being diagnosed at age 50 can even shorten a person's life expectancy by six years.
Type 2 diabetes used to be seen as a disease that affected older people, but we are increasingly seeing people diagnosed diagnosed at an earlier age. This has been shown to mean that they face a much shorter lifespan than would otherwise be the case.
“Given the impact of type 2 diabetes on people's lives, preventing – or at least delaying the onset of – the disease should be an urgent priority.”
Rising levels of obesity, poor diet and lack of exercise are contributing to the sharp rise in the incidence of type 2 diabetes . Having type 2 diabetes also puts a person at increased risk of developing further diseases such as:
- Acute cardiovascular disease
- Stroke
- Problems with kidneys
- Cancer.
How did the researchers come to these conclusions?
These findings come from an analysis of data from 19 high-income countries, home to 1.5 million people. Overall, each decade of early diabetes diagnosis was associated with about four years of reduced life expectancy.
The research team calculated that if you:
- < li>diagnosed at 30 years old – your life expectancy is reduced by 14 years
- diagnosed at 40 years old – your life expectancy is reduced by 10 years
- Diagnosed at age 50, your life expectancy is reduced by six years.
These estimates were slightly higher in women than in men.
“Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by identifying those who are most at risk, and offer them support,” explains endocrinologist Gureeva.
Recommended supportive treatment included behavioral changes and medication.
“There are also structural changes that we as a society need to achieve.”
Examples relate to food production and changes to the built environment to encourage more physical activity.
MedicForum previously wrote about the benefits of cocoa and green tea for preventing blood clots.
Important! Information is provided for reference purposes. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and under no circumstances self-medicate. At the first signs of illness, consult a doctor.