People With Diabetes Can Live Longer by Meeting Their Treatment Goals. Life expectancy can be increased by 3 years or in some cases as much as 10 years. At age 50, life expectancy- the number of years a person is expected to live- is 6 years shorter for people with type 2 diabetes than for people without it.
What is known is that people having access to better insulins and newer technology has increased the lifespan of people with diabetes longer than ever before. Some people have even lived with diabetes for seven and eight decades! It's important to know the risks of having a lifelong illness, but to not lose hope.
Diabetes Life Expectancy
The average life expectancy of a type 2 diabetic patient is between 77 to 81 years. However, it is not uncommon for diabetics to live past the age of 85, should they be able to maintain good blood sugar levels and lengthen their lifespan.
Average life expectancy in 2015 in the non-diabetic population is around 74.8 years with longer life expectancy for the female than male population (78 years vs 71) (Table 2). Patients with Type 1 DM and with Type 2 DM are expected to have an average life of 70.96 and 75.19 years at the end of observed period.
The younger a person who receives a type 2 diabetes diagnosis is, the higher the risk that diabetes-linked complications will shorten their lifespan. However, by adopting effective management strategies, there is a good chance that a person living with type 2 diabetes may live as long as a person without the condition.
Type 2 diabetes most often develops in people over age 45, but more and more children, teens, and young adults are also developing it.
Often called a "silent disease," diabetes can develop in people without initially producing symptoms. If not properly managed, diabetes can lead to serious complications, including heart, kidney, vision, and circulatory problems that can lead to permanent disability or even premature death.
Indeed, myocardial infarction is the leading cause of death among individuals with diabetes mellitus.
Not only does diabetes change over time, Palinski-Wade points out, but so does your body. For example, as you age, you may experience complications from diabetes, such as nerve pain, or develop an unrelated condition, such as osteoarthritis, that could make exercise more challenging, she says.
Living till 100 years of age with diabetes is not just possible, it's simple, says diabetologist Dr V Mohan. “All it takes is a little self-control.”
In fact, there are only 90 diabetics who have lived more than 70 years. One man crushed that goal 15 years ago and is telling others how they can do it, too. Eighty-five-year old Don Ray can't remember a life without diabetes. As a child, Don could not go to gym class.
Diabetics clearly should avoid heavy drinking (i.e., more than 10 to 12 drinks per day), because it can cause ketoacidosis and hypertriglyceridemia. Moreover, heavy drinking in a fasting state can cause hypoglycemia and ultimately increase diabetics' risk of death from noncardiovascular causes.
Diabetes is usually a lifelong condition that causes a person's blood glucose (sugar) level to become too high. There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 – where the pancreas doesn't produce any insulin. type 2 – where the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin or the body's cells don't react to insulin.
People with type 2 diabetes often have no symptoms at first. They may not have symptoms for many years. According to Medlineplus.gov, early symptoms of diabetes caused by a high blood sugar level may include: Bladder, kidney, skin, or other infections that are more frequent or heal slowly.
Obesity is one risk factor for diabetes, but some thin people can also develop the disease.
Possible long-term effects include damage to large (macrovascular) and small (microvascular) blood vessels, which can lead to heart attack, stroke, and problems with the kidneys, eyes, gums, feet and nerves.
Take diabetes seriously.
Diabetes is serious, but you can learn to manage it. People with diabetes need to make healthy food choices, stay at a healthy weight, move more every day, and take their medicine even when they feel good.
But trim, white-haired Bob Krause, who turned 90 last week, is still going strong. The San Diego resident is believed to be the oldest diabetic ever.
Type 2 diabetes is mainly the result of two problems: Cells in muscle, fat and the liver become resistant to insulin As a result, the cells don't take in enough sugar. The pancreas can't make enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range.
A three-year-old girl has become the youngest person in the world to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after reaching 5½ stone. The youngster from Texas, US, who has not been identified, was admitted to an obeisty clinic after suffering from extreme thirst and urination, the first signs of the disease.
The strongest evidence we have at the moment suggests that type 2 diabetes is mainly put into remission by weight loss. Remission is more likely if you lose weight as soon as possible after your diabetes diagnosis. However, we do know of people who have put their diabetes into remission 25 years after diagnosis.