Being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes by the age of 30 could see life expectancy fall by as much as 14 years, according to an international team of researchers.
Published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, the study emphasises a pressing need to develop and implement interventions that prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.
The need for better interventions is especially critical given the rising prevalence of diabetes globally, including amongst younger adults.
Professor Emanuele Di Angelantonio from the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute (VPD-HLRI) at the University of Cambridge said: “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.”
Increasing rates of obesity, poor diet and sedentary behaviour are behind a rapid rise in the number of cases of type 2 diabetes. 537 million adults were estimated to have diabetes worldwide according to data from 2021.
Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of conditions including heart attack and stroke, kidney problems and cancer. Previous studies have indicated that adults with type 2 diabetes die six years earlier than adults without diabetes, but little is known about how this average figure caries depending on the age of diagnosis.
A team led by scientists at the University of Cambridge and the University of Glasgow sought to answer the question. The study investigated data from 1.5 million patients across two international studies – the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration and UK Biobank.
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.
“Our findings support the idea that the younger an individual is when they develop type 2 diabetes, the more damage their body accumulates from its impaired metabolism,” said professor Naveed Sattar from the Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences at the University of Glasgow.
“The findings also suggest that early detection of diabetes by screening followed by intensive glucose management could help prevent long-term complications from the condition.”
Data from the US and EU followed similar trends. People with type 2 diabetes diagnosed at ages 30, 40, and 50 years died on average about 14, 10, and 6 years earlier, respectively, than individuals without the disease, according to US data.
In the EU, corresponding estimates averaged 13, 9 and 5 years earlier for people aged 30, 40 and 50 years at the time of diagnosis.
Dr Stephen Kaptoge, also from the VPD-HLRI, said: “Type 2 diabetes can be prevented if those at greatest risk can be identified and offered support – whether that’s to make changes to their behaviour or to provide medication to lower their risk. But there are also structural changes that we as a society should be pursuing, including relating to food manufacturing, changes to the built environment to encourage more physical activity, and so on.
“Given the impact type 2 diabetes will have on people’s lives, preventing – or at least delaying the onset – of the condition should be an urgent priority.”
The Cambridge study was supported by the Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, Health Data Research UK and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.