Key takeaways
- Type 2 diabetes can reduce a person’s lifespan because it can lead to other health problems. Managing the condition can help prevent these issues.
- Treating type 2 diabetes involves checking blood sugar levels regularly and, if necessary, using medications or insulin as prescribed by a doctor.
- People can improve their health by eating healthy meals, getting regular physical activity, maintaining a moderate weight, reducing stress, and quitting smoking, if relevant.
When a person gets a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, they may wonder how it will affect the length of their life.
The impact on life expectancy depends on various factors, such as how soon a person receives a diagnosis and treatment, and how they and their healthcare team manage the condition.
Other influential factors include symptom severity and progression, the appearance of complications, and the body’s response to treatment.
This article will examine the factors that influence life expectancy with type 2 diabetes and how to maximize it.
Type 2 diabetes is the
Diabetes symptoms
- increased thirst
- increased urination
- increased hunger
- fatigue
- poor wound healing
- dry skin
- numbness or tingling in hands or feet
- unexplained weight loss
People living with type 2 diabetes tend to have a shorter life expectancy than those not living with the condition. In people with type 2 diabetes who are 50 years old, life expectancy is around
This is often because of the impact of diabetes-related complications, such as nerve damage, kidney disease, or cardiovascular disease.
However, diabetes management can help substantially increase life expectancy. For example, research from 2022 found that people with type 2 diabetes and a lower body mass index (BMI) lived an additional
The study also showed that lowering blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes may extend a person’s life by an average of 1.1 to 1.9 years. Additionally, there was an association between lower cholesterol levels and about 0.5 to 0.9 more years.
Finally, the study found that reducing hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) from 9.9% to 7.7% may help a person with type 2 diabetes live an extra 3.4 years.
Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells. When blood sugar levels rise, glucose attaches to hemoglobin. The hemoglobin A1C test measures the percentage of hemoglobin that has glucose stuck to it.
This shows that leading a healthy lifestyle and managing one’s blood sugar can go a long way toward improving one’s health while living with type 2 diabetes.
The best way to improve life expectancy for type 2 diabetes is to manage the condition with both medical and lifestyle interventions.
Treatment of type 2 diabetes includes tracking a person’s blood sugar levels, which helps them identify peaks and address the cause.
People with type 2 diabetes may also need medications to prevent their blood sugar levels from getting too high. This can be insulin injections or medications such as metformin (Fortamet, Glumetza) or GLP-1 agonists.
The effects of diabetes on the blood vessels and nerves that control the heart make it
For people with type 2 diabetes who also have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, doctors may prescribe medications for these conditions as part of an overall diabetes treatment plan.
Additional strategies for maintaining optimal health while living with diabetes include:
- Eating a healthy meal plan: Avoid consuming simple sugars, such as juice or candy, and aim to eat complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains and beans. Limit alcohol intake.
- Getting exercise: A person should get at least 150 minutes of moderately intense aerobic activity each week.
- Maintaining a healthy weight: Weight loss can help reduce the impact of diabetes in people with obesity. Research shows it
can even lead to remission in some cases. - Reducing stress: Diabetes can cause stress for some people, but stress
can also worsen diabetes. Yoga, meditation, and speaking with a mental health professional or counselor can help a person manage their mental health. - Preventing infections: What would be a relatively minor infection in a person without diabetes can become life threatening in a person with diabetes. If a person notices a wound is taking too long to heal, they should promptly have a doctor examine it to avoid a skin ulcer. A skin ulcer can become infected, and if it reaches the blood, it may cause sepsis.
- Quitting smoking: Smoking causes the blood vessels to constrict and can actually lead to the development of type 2 diabetes. It also makes a person living with diabetes
more susceptible to infections in their lower extremities.
The following are answers to common questions about type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes can make it more likely for a person to develop other health conditions, such as kidney and heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among people with diabetes.
Sudden cardiac death or death from a stroke can be a complication of type 2 diabetes. These can result from the ineffective management of a person’s diabetes.
“End stage diabetes” is not a formal medical term. However, after many years with diabetes, especially untreated diabetes, a person can develop renal disease or heart disease.
Significantly elevated blood sugar levels can lead to hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome in people with type 2 diabetes.
There are several risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. These include age, family history, obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity.
However, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is higher among Black, Latine, Indigenous, and some Asian American people than white people. This may be due to a combination of biological and environmental factors that may affect historically marginalized groups.
Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition that can shorten life expectancy. The younger a person who receives a type 2 diabetes diagnosis is, the higher the risk that diabetes-linked complications will shorten their lifespan.
However, by adopting effective management strategies, there is a good chance that a person living with type 2 diabetes may live as long as a person without the condition.
A person living with type 2 diabetes who maintains an active lifestyle, eats a healthy meal plan, refrains from smoking, and receives prompt treatment for complications, such as infections or cardiovascular disease, has a higher likelihood of a better outlook.
It can be helpful to connect with others who understand what it is like to live with type 2 diabetes. Bezzy T2D is a free app that can help a person connect with others living with the condition.