Early Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis can Take Away 14 Years of Your Life

A team of international researchers has cautioned that an individual diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 30 may experience a potential decrease in their life expectancy of up to 14 years. Even those who receive this diagnosis later in life, at around 50 years of age, might face a reduction in their life expectancy of up to six years. These conclusions were drawn from an examination of data from 19 affluent countries (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Life expectancy associated with different ages at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in high-income countries: 23 million person-years of observation

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The findings, which were published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, underscore the pressing necessity for the development and implementation of strategies to hinder or postpone the onset of diabetes. This is particularly crucial as the incidence of diabetes in younger adults is on the rise worldwide.

Unhealthy Lifestyle, Sedentary Behavior and its Link to Obesity

The escalating levels of obesity, unhealthy dietary habits, and an increase in sedentary behavior are contributing to a swift surge in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes cases across the globe. In 2021, it was estimated that 537 million adults worldwide were living with diabetes, and an increasing number of them were being diagnosed at younger ages.

Type 2 diabetes heightens the likelihood of various complications, including heart attacks, strokes, kidney issues, and cancer. Prior estimates suggested that adults with type 2 diabetes tend to pass away, on average, six years earlier than their counterparts without the condition. However, there has been uncertainty regarding how this average reduction in life expectancy fluctuates based on the age of diagnosis.

To address this inquiry, a team led by scientists from the University of Cambridge and the University of Glasgow scrutinized data from two major global studies—the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration and UK Biobank—which collectively encompassed 1.5 million individuals. The earlier an individual received a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, the greater the reduction in their life expectancy. Overall, for every decade earlier that diabetes was diagnosed, there was an associated reduction of about four years in life expectancy.

Based on data from the US population, it was estimated that individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at ages 30, 40, and 50 died, on average, approximately 14, 10, and 6 years earlier, respectively, compared to those without the condition. These estimates were slightly higher in women (16, 11, and 7 years, respectively) than in men (14, 9, and 5 years, respectively).

Similar results were observed in analyses using data from the EU, with corresponding estimates suggesting an earlier average death by about 13, 9, or 5 years.

Type 2 Diabetes is Becoming Common in the Younger Generation

Professor Emanuele Di Angelantonio from the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute (VPD-HLRI) at the University of Cambridge noted, "Type 2 diabetes used to be seen as a disease that affected older adults, but we're increasingly seeing people diagnosed earlier in life. As we've shown, this means they are at risk of a much shorter life expectancy than they would otherwise have."

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Dr. Stephen Kaptoge, also from VPD-HLRI, emphasized, "Type 2 diabetes can be prevented if those at greatest risk can be identified and offered support – whether that's to make changes to their behavior or to provide medication to lower their risk. But there are also structural changes that we as a society should be pursuing, including relating to food manufacturing, changes to the built environment to encourage more physical activity, and so on."

Professor Naveed Sattar from the Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences at the University of Glasgow added, "Our findings support the idea that the younger an individual is when they develop type 2 diabetes, the more damage their body accumulates from its impaired metabolism. But the findings also suggest that early detection of diabetes by screening followed by intensive glucose management could help prevent long-term complications from the condition."

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Reference:

1. Life expectancy associated with different ages at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in high-income countries: 23 million person-years of observation - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37708900/)

Source-Medindia