Type 2 diabetes is linked to shorter life expectancy

TYPE 2 diabetes is linked to a shorter life expectancy across all levels of society in Scotland, a new study has suggested.

Researchers analysed health records of more than three million people and found the likely projected lifespan was lower by up to 5.5 years for some people with the condition compared to those without.

Around one in 20 people in Scotland have diabetes – 90 per cent of those are diagnosed with type 2 – and the condition is estimated to cost NHS Scotland £1billion per year.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body’s cells do not react to insulin, creating an inability to control blood sugar levels.

Treatment involves controlling diet or medication, unlike type 1 diabetes which is typically treated with injections of insulin as the body produces none.

Researchers at Scottish universities compared the anonymised health records of more than 250,000 people with type 2 diabetes against 2.8 million people without the condition across Scotland, and generated life expectancies for those aged 40-89 in 2012 to 2014. The study considered the data alongside an indicator showing the level of deprivation in an area.

Researchers found life expectancy was lower for those in the type 2 diabetes group compared to those without across almost every five-year age band and at all levels of deprivation, with the only exception men aged 80 and over in the most deprived areas.

The drop i n life expectancy for those with the condition ranged from an estimated 5.5 year reduction for women aged 40-44 to a 0.1 year fall for men aged 85-89.

Professor Sarah Wild, from Edinburgh University, said: “Our study suggests that to improve life expectancy, we should encourage prevention and management for type 2 diabetes across all of society.”