Diabetes Type 2 Could Shorten Lifespan Up to 14 Years, Finds Recent Study

A research team led by scientists from the University of Cambridge and University of Glasgow warns that people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes as early as 30 could see their life expectancy reduced by as much as 14 years. Even those who do not develop the condition until age 50 could see their life expectancy decline by as much as 6 years. The research was based on data from 19 high-income countries.
The findings were published in Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The research team based their findings on data from two major international studies, including the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration and UK Biobank. The studies comprised a total of 1.5 million individuals.
Researchers cited increasing levels of obesity, poor diet and increased sedentary behavior driving a rapid increase in the incidence of Type 2 diabetes globally. In 2021, 537 million adults were estimated to have diabetes worldwide, with an increasing number diagnosed at younger ages.
Impact of age at diagnosis
The earlier an individual was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the greater the reduction in their life expectancy. Overall, every decade of earlier diagnosis of diabetes was associated with about four years of reduced life expectancy.
Data from the US population indicated that individuals with Type 2 diabetes diagnosed at 30, 40 and 50 years died on average about 14, 10, and 6 years earlier, respectively, than individuals who did not have the disease. The findings were broadly similar in analyses using EU data, with corresponding estimates being about 13, 9, or 5 years earlier death on average.
The research supports the idea that the younger an individual is when they develop Type 2 diabetes, the more damage their body accumulates from its impaired metabolism. The researchers found that the reduced life expectancy associated with diabetes was most often due to ‘vascular deaths’ – deaths related to conditions such as heart attack, stroke, and aneurysms. Other complications such as cancer also contributed to lowering life expectancy.
Importance of early detection
Researchers noted that Type 2 diabetes used to affect older adults but is increasingly being diagnosed in people earlier in life. This increases their risk of a much shorter life expectancy. Early detection of diabetes by screening* followed by intensive glucose management could help prevent long-term complications from the condition, say researchers.
Source: Press Announcement, Type 2 diabetes diagnosis at age 30 can reduce life expectancy by up to 14 years, University of Cambridge, October 3, 2023. https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/type-2-diabetes-diagnosis-at-age-30-can-reduce-life-expectancy-by-up-to-14-years

*Note: A normal blood sugar reading is less than 110 mg/dl; greater than 126 is diabetes. If fasting blood sugar lands somewhere between those numbers, it is considered prediabetes. A simple blood test is the easiest way to determine prediabetes.
The AIC test is the most accurate. It determines the percentage of glucose (sugar) that is attached to the hemoglobin in blood. A score of 5.7 and below is considered normal. Anything between 5.7 and 6.4 is considered prediabetes, and 6.4 and above is full-blown diabetes.