In a new review study, researchers found that the earlier in life type 2 diabetes arises, the deadlier it is.
They looked at the results of 26 previous studies and found a clear pattern: The younger people were when they developed type 2 diabetes, the greater their risk of complications like heart disease and stroke.
For each year type 2 diabetes was delayed, the risk of blood vessel diseases fell by 3% to 5%.
Younger patients were also at risk of premature death: Overall, for every additional year in age at diagnosis, the odds of dying during the study period declined by 4%.
The findings suggest that the longer a person lives with diabetes, the more time there is for complications to accumulate.
The research was conducted by a team at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
In general, older adults face more complications from diseases than younger people who are in relatively better shape. But in the setting of type 2 diabetes, it’s different.
Type 2 diabetes arises when the body becomes resistant to the effects of the hormone insulin, causing blood sugar levels to soar.
Over time, both insulin resistance and chronically high blood sugar can lead to a range of complications, including damage to the blood vessels.
It’s not surprising that the earlier insulin resistance and (high blood sugar) begin, the more time there is for these sinister events to take place.
In the study, the team combined the results of 26 studies involving a total of more than 1.3 million people from 30 countries.
Many of the studies followed people for a decade or more, with the average age of participants ranging from 22 to 67 at the outset.
Overall, the older people were at their diabetes diagnosis, the better, the findings showed.
Their risk of diseases connected to blood vessel damage declined by 3% to 5% for each one-year increase in age at diagnosis. That included such serious conditions as heart disease, stroke, and eye disease retinopathy.
In the United States, more than 34 million people have diabetes, and the vast majority have type 2, according to the American Diabetes Association.
At one time, type 2 diabetes was largely a disease of older adults. But with the ever-growing prevalence of obesity—a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes—the disease is increasingly being diagnosed in younger adults, and even in teenagers and children.
But younger patients tend to underestimate their risk of complications.
Researchers say that it’s important that young people with type 2 diabetes follow up regularly with their providers to optimize their cardiovascular risk factors.
That means not only controlling blood sugar, but also blood pressure and cholesterol—and losing weight when needed.
One author of the study is Dr. Natalie Nanayakkara, an endocrinologist.
The study is published in the journal Diabetologia.
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