Recent research has unveiled alarming statistics regarding the impact of type 2 diabetes on life expectancy, mainly when diagnosed at a younger age. A study conducted by an international team of researchers at the University of Cambridge revealed that individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 30 might experience an alarming reduction in life expectancy of up to 14 years. Even those diagnosed at age 50 could see their life expectancy decrease by up to six years, underscoring the gravity of this health condition.

Diabetes is a medical condition characterized by insufficient insulin production or ineffective use of insulin in the body. In the U.S, 34.2 million adults are affected by diabetes, with one in five individuals unaware of their condition. It stands as a prominent cause of mortality in the country, particularly affecting individuals from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Type 2 diabetes primarily stems from dietary factors and evolves gradually over time. It is preventable and potentially reversible through adopting a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise. This form of diabetes disproportionately affects individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups, constituting approximately 90 percent to 95 percent of all diabetes cases.

Black adults in the U.S. are 60 percent more likely than white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes.

“Unfortunately, access to care is a huge barrier within our Black and Brown communities,” Northwestern Medicine Internal Medicine Physician Kimbra A. Bell, MD, said in a separate study, this one done in 2022 and entitled, “Diabetes in Black Communities: Understanding Health Inequity.” “Additionally, the inability to afford quality medical care and prescription medications can be a hindrance as well. So, conditions such as diabetes are not managed as well as they could be and subsequently result in poorer outcomes.”

The Cambridge findings shed light on the urgent need for interventions aimed at preventing or delaying the onset of diabetes. With the prevalence of diabetes among younger adults on the rise globally, the imperative to address this issue has become increasingly pressing.

The rise in type 2 diabetes cases is attributed to factors such as increasing levels of obesity, poor dietary habits, and sedentary lifestyles. In 2021 alone, an estimated 537 million adults worldwide were living with diabetes, with a growing number of diagnoses occurring at younger ages.

Type 2 diabetes significantly elevates the risk of various complications, including heart attacks, strokes, kidney problems, and cancer. Previous estimates suggested that adults with type 2 diabetes, on average, die six years earlier than those without the condition. However, this study delves deeper into how age at diagnosis correlates with the extent of life expectancy reduction.

Individuals diagnosed at ages 30, 40, and 50 years were estimated to die on average about 14, 10, and 6 years earlier, respectively, compared to those without the condition. These estimates varied slightly between genders, with women facing slightly higher reductions in life expectancy than men.

“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,” Professor Emanuele Di Angelantonio from the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute (VPD-HLRI), University of Cambridge, said in the University of Cambridge report.

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