Death risks high in younger people with diabetes

People with Type 2 diabetes aged between 35 and 54 are over three times more likely to die than those without the condition according to research published today in the journal Diabetic Medicine. For people aged from 85 to 89, the increased risk of death for those with diabetes is over 50 per cent.

The research on 44,230 people with Type 2 diabetes also found that women with diabetes were more than twice as likely to die as their peers without the condition. For men, the increased risk of those with diabetes is 77 per cent. The study also confirmed that lifestyle factors such as smoking and being obese increased the risk of death.

Douglas Smallwood, Chief Executive at Diabetes UK said, “These results are shocking but people with diabetes have to be made aware of the seriousness of the condition. Diabetes deaths are predicted to rise by 25 per cent over the next decade. However, the risk of complications leading to death can be reduced if people with diabetes get the care they need to manage their condition. There is no reason why people with diabetes cannot live long and healthy lives.”

Ms Henrietta Mulnier, a member of the team at the Postgraduate Medical School at the University of Surrey responsible for the research, said, “The risk estimates from this study highlight the need for effective treatment and early detection of Type 2 diabetes, particularly in the young and in women.”

It is estimated that around 33,000 deaths a year are caused by diabetes in the UK. By 2015, there could be as many as 8,000 more diabetes related deaths.