Diabetes Life Expectancy

Diabetes is considered a dreaded condition because, it acts as the origin of a multiple of disorders, which at one point, give rise to life-threatening situations. Chronic diabetes exist in two forms; type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, and type 2 diabetes. The other types are known as gestational diabetes, and prediabetes. All these disorders affect the way the body makes use of the glucose. In order words, being diagnosed with diabetes means having high levels of blood sugar, which can lead to serious health complications. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as mentioned, are chronic, but the other two can be reversed if proper treatment is received at the right time.

Life Expectancy for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

The reason the condition diabetes is associated with the term 'life expectancy', is the severity of the complications that the condition causes with time. According to experts, the more the treatment is delayed, the severe the complications could become, and may result in disability or even fatal situations. The common complications include:

• Diseases of the cardiovascular system of the body [coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke and narrowing of arteries (atherosclerosis)]
• Damage to the nerves [nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, and even erectile dysfunction]
• Kidney damage
• Damage to the eyes (blindness)
• Increased vulnerability to infections in the body (common being the foot, mouth and skin)
• Problems with the brain
• Cancers

So as you can see, if such complications are allowed to progress, then they will shorten the life span of the affected person.

Type 1 Diabetes
Also known as juvenile diabetes, type 1 diabetes causes the body to produce too little or no insulin. Insulin is the hormone secreted by the pancreas, and is needed to allow glucose to enter cells to produce energy. If this hormone is not produced, then sugar levels increase in the body and give rise to all kinds of complications as listed above.

Type 1 diabetes affect younger people more than the older ones. Its life expectancy is about 75 years, as most people have been known to live for so long with this condition.

Type 2 Diabetes
In people who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the body somehow develops a resistance towards the effects of insulin. It may also happen that, the production of the hormone is not enough to keep the glucose levels in a stabilized position.

According to research, people with this diabetes have a life expectancy that is 30 - 50% less than non-diabetics. This figure is calculated from the time of diagnosis.

Now having said that, it is important to understand that, there are a lot of factors which influence the life expectancy figures which I have presented. Also, it does not mean people having these conditions may pass away at the age of 75, later or earlier than that. There have been cases, where patients have been able to live longer. What is needed is to follow the right treatment methods diligently, as prescribed by the doctor, and keeping an optimistic approach towards life. For instance, the life expectancy of a diabetic is 80 years. Now it is also possible that, the same person may live for the same period of time, even if he is not a diabetic. What people need to concentrate on, are the steps they need to take, in order to slow down the disease and reduce the risks of its complications. If all this is done religiously, then whether someone is a diabetic or not, it doesn't really make a difference.