Diabetes is considered to be one of the main causes of death and disability across the world. People who were in late forties and fifties were only affected with type 2 diabetes. But it is common, these days, in millions of young adults across the world due to poor lifestyle, poor quality sleep, and easy availability of processed items, and lots of unwanted factors.
The National Academy has posted a reported on an Aging Society in 2010 which suggests diabetes reduce up to 8.5 years from average lifespan of 50-year-old diabetic when compared to those without diabetes. This survey was conducted by the University of Michigan’s Health & Retirement study on over 20000 Americans above 50, in every 2 years.
Diabetes can be deadly if not treated. Complications can really take a huge toll on your overall well-being and health.
Conditions Affecting Diabetic’s Lifespan
Diabetes is a disorder recognized due to increased blood sugar levels. The blood moves through the body when it is full of sugar. It can take a toll on several body systems. When it is managed badly or left untreated, the lifespan is reduced because of regular damage. Here are some of the conditions responsible to reduce the life expectancy of diabetic patients –
- Ketones and hyperglycemia
- Nerve damage
- High blood pressure
- Cardiovascular disease
- Kidney damage
- High cholesterol levels
- Gum disease
- Digestive ailments
- Retinopathy
- Atherosclerosis
Life Expectancy
According to a report, diabetes can cut the lifespan by 10 to 15 years. But diabetic care can make some improvements which help patients to lead a longer life. With type 2 diabetes, the average life span is from 77 to 81 years. But diabetics may also last longer than 85 years by regulating proper blood sugar levels. Keep in mind that the life expectancy varies according to the combination of risk factors and the age when type-2 diabetes is diagnosed.
According to the outcomes model by the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) which forecasts the initial diagnosis of major complications related to diabetes as well as death in patients with type 2 diabetes, if you are diagnosed at 55 years, your life expectancy may vary from 13.2 years (if you smoke, have 180 mmHg of systolic blood pressure (HBP), total/HDL cholesterol of 8, and HbA1c of 10%) to 21.1 years (if you are non-smoker, total/HDL cholesterol of 4, with 120 mmHg of SBP and HbA1c of 6%).
Type 1 vs. Type 2 – Which is Worse?
Type 1 diabetes is usually detected in childhood. Hence it is possible to live longer with this condition. But Type 2 diabetes is found later in life and brings a lot of complications.
With type 1 diabetes, you cannot produce insulin and you need to depend on it every day for whole life. If you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, your cells become more insulin resistant over time and your body hardly produce it to control blood sugar. Though type 1 diabetes can be detected soon and can take action quickly, type 2 may not be diagnosed for years where they can have several complications.
Type 1 diabetes is very tedious and hard to manage. You need to eat right diet and take insulin every day. But type 2 diabetes is more difficult and cause harmful outcomes. According to the research, type 2 is more as inflammatory condition rather than just resistance to insulin. Hence, type 2 is more damaging to the body.
When it comes to fatality rate, type 2 diabetes kills up to 3 million people across the world, while type 1 may lead to deaths of 350,000 individuals. Thanks to the medical technology advances, it is believed that it is possible to reverse type 2 diabetes and one can lead a healthy life. For doing this, you need well-rounded and disciplined approach to follow, which includes lifestyle changes, diet and stress management. Keep in mind it is ‘reversal’ not ‘cure’. It means if you start your poor lifestyle habits again, your health will get worse.