Diabetes diagnosis at age 30 may cut life expectancy by up to 14 years

An individual diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at age 30 years could see their life expectancy fall by as much as 14 years, warns an international team of researchers in their findings, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. Even those diagnosed at age 50 years may face up to a six-year reduction in life expectancy.

For the study, researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Glasgow analyzed data from two major international studies, the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration and UK Biobank, encompassing a total of 1.5 million individuals.

The study revealed that the earlier an individual was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the greater the reduction in their life expectancy. On average, every decade earlier of diabetes diagnosis was associated with approximately four years of reduced life expectancy.

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

The findings were consistent in analyses using European Union data, with corresponding estimates indicating about 13, 9, or 5 years earlier death on average. The study found that most of the reduction in life expectancy associated with diabetes was due to 'vascular deaths,' including heart attacks, strokes, and aneurysms. Other complications such as cancer also contributed to the lower life expectancy.

Reference: Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration. Life expectancy associated with different ages at diagnosis of diabetes: 23 million person-years of observation. Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology; 11 Sept 2023; DOI: 10.1016/S2213-8587(23)00223-1