Indeed, myocardial infarction is the leading cause of death among individuals with diabetes mellitus.
Diabetes is the No. 1 cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations, and adult blindness.
Therefore people with diabetes need regular monitoring. Cardiovascular disease: affects the heart and blood vessels and may cause fatal complications such as coronary artery disease (leading to heart attack) and stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in people with diabetes.
Chronic, or long-term, complications include heart disease; stroke; peripheral nerve damage (neuropathy) that can result in the need for amputation of the toes, feet, or legs; and damage to the retina that can cause blindness. Heart and kidney disease are the main causes of death in people with type 1 diabetes.
Cardiac complications are mainly due to coronary heart disease, the most common risk factor for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in diabetes, affecting ~80% of males and ~45% of females [2].
Generally, early mortality is around two to five times higher² in diabetics than in the general population. People with type 1 diabetes have an estimated 12.2 years of life lost compared with the life expectancy of the general population.
Despite this, type-2 diabetic women saw a steady increase in life expectancy from 75.77 years to 76.95 years, with the gap closing from 2.6 years in 2012 to 1.45 years.
Untreated Type 2 diabetes can lead to a range of life-threatening health conditions. Diabetes requires lifelong management.
The risk of death with diabetes rises very significantly with age. In a 20 year old, it is about 1 in 200,000. In a 60 year old it is about 1 in 10,000. In an 80 year old it is 1 in 1000.
Heart disease and stroke: People with diabetes are two times more likely to have heart disease or a stroke as people without diabetes. Blindness and other eye problems: Damage to blood vessels in the retina (diabetic retinopathy)
Dead in bed syndrome (DIB) is a term used to describe the sudden unexplained deaths of young people with type 1 diabetes. The syndrome is characterised as when someone with insulin dependent diabetes has gone to bed seemingly perfectly fine and has been found dead in an undisturbed bed.
Type 1 diabetes is considered worse than type 2 because it is an autoimmune disease, so there isn't a cure. Also, in a 2010 report⁴ from the UK, it's estimated that the life expectancy of people with type 2 diabetes can be reduced by up to 10 years, while type 1 can reduce life expectancy by 20 years or more.
Type 2 diabetes can lead to premature death over time when left uncontrolled because it can damage blood vessels and nerves necessary for helping your heart, eyes, and other important organs function properly. In fact, it is estimated that 65%² of people with diabetes will die from some form of heart disease or stroke.
What is brittle diabetes? Brittle diabetes is diabetes that's especially difficult to manage and often disrupts everyday life. People with brittle diabetes have severe swings in blood glucose (blood sugar). The swings can cause frequent episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).
A skipped meal alters the balance between food intake and insulin production, and can cause your blood sugar levels to eventually drop. “For diabetic people dependent on insulin or blood sugar–lowering medication, skipping meals can be more dangerous because it can lead to low blood sugar,” says Pearson.
Type 2 Diabetes is a metabolic condition that affects your overall health. Uncontrolled high blood sugar levels in diabetes can decrease the elasticity of your artery walls, which causes them to become narrow and stiff. This can restrict blood flow to your organs and lead to organ failure, which can turn fatal.
The metabolic disease can lead to heart disease, stroke, blindness, and other medical problems, and is often severe enough to shave years off the lifespan. 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.
Many people have type 2 diabetes for years without realising because the early symptoms tend to be general, or there are no symptoms at all.
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.
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.
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.
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.