People diagnosed with type 2 diabetes before the age of 40 are almost four times as likely to die as the general British population, according to a new study carried out at the University of Oxford’s Radcliffe Department of Medicine.
The study, now published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinologyassessed whether complications and mortality rates differ for type 2 diabetes at younger ages compared to those diagnosed at older ages.
It showed that although adults with type 2 diabetes have a one and a half times higher risk of death later in life compared to the general population, this was much lower than the increased risk of death in people diagnosed at a younger age. age.
“Over the past thirty years, the number of young adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes worldwide has increased significantly,” said Amanda Adler, co-author and professor of Diabetic Medicine and Health Policy at the University of Oxford.
“So far, there is evidence that type 2 diabetes at a younger age, characterized by earlier and longer exposure to high blood glucose levels, may be more aggressive than the disease that occurs later. This may include more rapid deterioration of β-cell function – the cells in the pancreas that produce and release insulin, and an increased risk of complications such as heart and kidney disease.”
Younger age associated with a higher risk of complications and death
Researchers analyzed the landmark British Prospective Diabetes Study, which followed 4,550 participants aged 25 to 65 who had recently been diagnosed with diabetes, over a 30-year period.
They found that people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at a younger age had a higher risk of death, and a higher rate of diabetes-related complications, especially microvascular disease such as eye damage and kidney failure. Lower age at diagnosis was also associated with persistently poorer blood sugar control.
High-quality care crucial for young adults with type 2 diabetes
Lead author of the study Dr. Beryl Lin from the University of Sydney and Honorary Research Associate at the University of Oxford’s Radcliffe Department of Medicine said: “Our data support the need to proactively identify young adults with type 2 diabetes and provide high-quality care throughout their lives.
“We urgently need clinical trials targeting young people to develop tailored treatments that prevent or delay complications such as kidney and heart disease, and, crucially, reduce the risk of premature death.”
The researchers warn that earlier and longer lifelong exposure to high blood sugar levels in young adults with type 2 diabetes may further increase the risk of complications and shorten life expectancy.
“In particular, we need to understand why young adults with type 2 diabetes are at greater risk of complications, and how we can identify and help this vulnerable group of people who have to live with diabetes for the rest of their lives.” added Dr. Lin.
More information:
Beryl Lin et al., Younger age compared with later-onset type 2 diabetes: an analysis of the UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) with up to 30 years of follow-up (UKPDS 92), The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S2213-8587(24)00242-0
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