After a diabetes diagnosis, many type 1 and type 2 diabetics worry about their life expectancy. How quickly diabetes was diagnosed, the progress of diabetic complications, and whether one has other existing conditions will all contribute to life expectancy, regardless of whether the person has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Historically, people with type 1 diabetes have had shorter life expectancies than those without the condition. It has been said that life expectancy has fallen by more than 20 years.
However, recent advances in diabetes care have resulted in a significant improvement in life expectancy rates for those with type 1 diabetes born in the late 20th century. Type 2 diabetes usually develops more slowly than type 1 diabetes. It is a serious condition that can lead to life-threatening complications. Statistics show that mortality rates for those aged 70 to 74 decreased from 16.4% (201) to 15.7% (201) for the diabetic population, and from 20.9% (201) to 17.9% (201) for those aged 75 to 79 years.
A prospective observational study of a meta-analysis of the relationship between cardiovascular disease (CVD) and glycemic control revealed only a moderate increase in cardiovascular risk with increasing levels of glycated hemoglobin in people with diabetes mellitus. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), which was conducted from 1983 to 1993, randomly assigned 1,441 volunteers with type 1 diabetes between the ages of 13 and 39 to intensive or conventional care. Male diabetics show a slightly longer life expectancy than their counterparts in the non-diabetic population, but a marginal gain of 0.6 years over the entire observed period. CDC research also showed that 25 people out of 100,000 died from diabetes-related causes in 2000.
As with type 1 diabetes, glucose builds up in the bloodstream and damages cells and tissues throughout the body. Although the life expectancy of people with type 1 diabetes has increased progressively since the advent of insulin therapy, these patients continue to experience premature mortality, mainly from CVD. The good news is that people with type 1 diabetes are known to live more than 85 years with this condition. People with type 2 diabetes can also expect to live longer lives than previously thought, although their life expectancy is still shorter than that of people without diabetes.
