Earlier Age at Diabetes Diagnosis Associated With Reduced Life Expectancy

A diagnosis of diabetes at an earlier age is associated with a life expectancy reduced by approximately 3 to 4 years for each decade, according to investigators of a study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

The study, an observational analysis, amalgamated data from 2 large-scale sources, the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration and the UK Biobank. The data encompassed 1,515,718 participants, with deaths recorded during 23.1 million person-years of follow-up. The objective of the study was to establish a robust association between the age at which diabetes is diagnosed and subsequent all-cause mortality, cause-specific mortality, and implications for life expectancy.

The study’s findings are both stark and thought-provoking. For individuals with diabetes, there is a clear and linear relationship between age at diagnosis and the risk of all-cause mortality. The earlier the onset of diabetes, the higher the mortality risk.

The study identified hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality across different age groups. Participants diagnosed with diabetes in their 30s had an HR of 2.69, and those diagnosed in their 40s had an HR of 2.26. The HR decreased as the age at diagnosis increased. These values, despite varying slightly depending on gender, demonstrated that every decade of earlier diabetes diagnosis was associated with a life expectancy reduced by 3 to 4 years.

Furthermore, the study offered a bleak perspective on the longevity of individuals diagnosed with diabetes. A 50-year-old individual with diabetes diagnosed at the age of 30 could expect to live an average of 14 years less than a nondiabetic individual. This gap in life expectancy diminished somewhat but remained substantial for those diagnosed at ages 40 (a 10-year difference) and 50 (a 6-year difference).

Overall, the study highlights “the need to develop and implement interventions that prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and to intensify the treatment of risk factors among young adults diagnosed with diabetes.”