A recent study underscores the significant health impacts of type 2 diabetes.
Researchers found that those with this form of diabetes are at heightened risk for hospitalizations due to a variety of medical conditions.
Dr. Hongjiang Wu, from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, led a team that investigated the data from 758,254 individuals who were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
They compared this group to a matched control group without diabetes. Both groups were followed for a median duration of 7.8 years, until 2019.
60.5% of the individuals with type 2 diabetes, compared to 56.5% of controls, required hospitalization for any reason.
This translated to hospital bed-day rates of 3,359 and 2,350 bed-days per 1,000 person-years, for the diabetes group and control group, respectively.
As age increased, the control group saw a rise in all-cause hospital bed-day rates. However, for those with type 2 diabetes, the relationship showed a J-shaped curve.
Strikingly, among individuals diagnosed with diabetes before the age of 40, 38.4% of their hospital bed-days were attributed to mental health disorders.
Across the board, type 2 diabetes was linked with increased risks for hospitalizations due to numerous medical conditions.
Specifically, the relative risks for all-cause hospital bed-days stood at 1.75 for men and 1.87 for women, both of which were statistically significant.
Furthermore, for individuals diagnosed at a younger age, the rate ratios were higher, with variations seen based on sex and specific medical conditions.
Recommendations
In light of these findings, the researchers recommend health care systems and policymakers prioritize resource allocation and strategy development to address the mental health requirements of younger individuals with type 2 diabetes.
They suggest the integration of mental health services directly into diabetes care, ensuring a holistic approach to treatment and support.
Conflicts of Interest
It’s noteworthy that several researchers involved in this study have disclosed affiliations with the pharmaceutical industry.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about berries that can help prevent diabetes, obesity, and cancer, and new drugs to treat diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about the normal blood sugar for people with diabetes, results showing that Zinc may be the key to better diabetes treatments.
The study was published in PLOS Medicine.
Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
