How Type 2 Diabetes Affects Life Expectancy

Diabetes and lifespan

Type 2 diabetes typically shows up later in life, although the incidence in younger people is increasing. This is due to the fact that high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels, and also because people with type 2 diabetes often have high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and other factors that increase the risk of heart disease.

Risk factors
When you have type 2 diabetes, there are many factors that can increase your risk of complications, and these complications can impact your life expectancy. They include:

High blood sugar levels: Uncontrolled high blood sugar levels affect many organs and contribute to the development of complications.

High blood pressure: According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 71 percent of people with diabetes have high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of kidney disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and other complications.

Lipid disorders: According to the ADA, 65 percent of those with diabetes have high low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad, cholesterol levels, which can increase the risk of vessel disease. High triglyceride levels and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or good, cholesterol levels are also common in diabetes, which increases risk of complications as well.

Smoking: Smoking can increase the risk of many complications associated with diabetes, as well as increasing the risk of overall mortality from other diseases, such as cancer.

Complications
Because of the above risk factors, diabetes increases the risk of developing certain complications, which also affect your life expectancy.

Kidney disease
Diabetes is the cause of 44 percent of all new cases of kidney failure in the United States, according to the ADA. Infections are harder to clear with high blood sugars, and infections that spread can potentially be fatal.

Gum disease
Gum disease is more prevalent in adults with type 2 diabetes than in other adults.

This complication of diabetes:

decreases circulation
increases plaque from high blood sugar levels
decreases saliva production, causing dry mouth
decreases protective collagen in the gums
Severe cases of gum disease can lead to heart problems, which in turn affect life expectancy. Your best defense against gum disease is through proper oral care, as well as regular dental exams.

Diabetes ketoacidosis
Although rare in type 2 diabetes, high blood sugar levels without adequate insulin can cause ketone levels to build up in the blood, causing a potentially deadly condition called diabetic ketoacidosis.