Type two diabetes linked to shorter life

Type two 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.

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

Type two 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.

The chronic condition is linked to obesity and is more likely to be diagnosed in older people.

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

The study is the first of its kind to get a snapshot of type two diabetes and life expectancy in a national population.

Researchers at Scottish universities compared the health records of more than 250,000 people with type two diabetes against 2.8 million people without the condition across Scotland.