How Type 2 Diabetes Affects Life Expectancy
Type 2 diabetes typically shows up later in life, although the incidence in younger people is increasing. The disease, which is characterized by high blood glucose (sugar), or hyperglycemia, usually results from a combination of unhealthy lifestyle habits, obesity, and genes. Over time, untreated hyperglycemia can lead to serious, life-threatening complications. Type 2 diabetes also puts you at risk for certain health conditions that can reduce your life expectancy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes is the 7th most common cause of death in the United States. However, there is no defining statistic to tell you how long you’ll live with type 2 diabetes. The better you have your diabetes under control, the lower your risk for developing associated conditions that may shorten your lifespan. The top cause of death for people with type 2 diabetes is cardiovascular disease. 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. 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- Continue reading >>
Your Child Can Live An Active Life With Type 1 Diabetes
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on Apr 15, 2015. When Kristen’s parents were given the diagnosis that their daughter, about to turn 4, had Type 1 Diabetes, they were overwhelmed with questions. What is this disease? How can we keep her healthy and safe? Will Kristen be able to maintain a lifestyle similar to other children? With the help of a diabetes team (including a nutritionist and doctors), Kristen is now 10-years-old and is one of the most outgoing and active children I know. She swims, plays on her school basketball and volleyball teams, and she participates in gymnastics, cheerleading, and horse jumping. She has also met many other children with diabetes through attending diabetes camp, which has helped normalize the disease for her. Kristen is so comfortable with her condition that not only does she speak openly with her classmates about diabetes but they accompany her when she tests her blood sugar levels and takes her insulin. According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a disease in which the pancreas does not produce any insulin, a hormone that helps your body to control the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood. Without insulin, glucose builds up in your blood instead of being used for energy. Being active is an important component in anyone’s life, but for those with T1D exercise is important in maintaining cardiovascular health and lowering blood glucose levels. Missy Foy is an elite marathon runner who has been ranked in the top 10 in the world at the 80 kms distance Being active with T1D, though, comes with unique challenges. But having T1D does not mean your child’s active lifestyle cannot lead to great sporting success (see sidebar above for successful athletes living with T1D). Marian Flanner Continue reading >>
3 Things Your Vet Might Not Tell You About Treating Your Diabetic Dog
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, diabetes affects approximately one in every 500 dogs. Chuck, my senior Pug mix, was diagnosed with the disease shortly after I adopted him. He was 10 years old and severely overweight when he came from the shelter. Although I did get his weight down by 25 percent thanks to a lot of walks, all that extra heft undoubtedly contributed to the onset of his disease. (Please don’t let your dogs get fat, it’s so dangerous to their health!) When your dog is diagnosed with diabetes, there is a ton of information to learn. Yet, there are quite a few things you may just take at face value without even thinking to question. Trust me, don’t do that. Always be inquisitive. Here is what I learned by managing Chuck’s diabetes. 1. There are different types of insulin When Chuck got his first insulin prescription, it was for Humulin N. I went to Costco and paid $130 for a bottle that would last a month. Over the next few days, I did some research and discovered Chuck could be moved to Novolin N (a different type of insulin). This is an equally expensive drug, but I finally found it for $24.88 at my local Walmart. Never underestimate the value of shopping around. Pharmacies frequently have contracts with certain drug companies that affect which drugs they sell and how much they cost. When your dog is diagnosed, invest the time into exploring your medication options. When asked, Chuck’s vet didn’t even know there were two insulins (she just jotted down the one she knew about), and it took some independent research on my part to determine Chuck could be safely moved from one to the other (not all animals can or should, so be careful and only do it with medical supervision). 2. You can do blood glucose curves at home When t Continue reading >>
Dead In Bed Syndrome
Twitter recently got in a twit about a statement someone found on the Internet: "One in 20 type 1 diabetics die in their sleep due to a sudden drop in their blood sugar." That’s quite a statistic, and one that raises all sorts of questions. Where did this strange and disturbing statistic come from? Does this mean that of all T1 PWD who die, 1 in 20 (5%) die in their sleep from something relating to dropping blood sugar? Does "sudden drop" mean any kind of drop - for instance, from high to normal, or only if it goes low? What’s the evidence that these deaths are indeed due to low blood sugar? And what can we do to prevent such a death? The "Dead in Bed Syndrome" is quite a problem, both for parents of kids with diabetes, and their physicians. One pediatric endocrinologist said "my patients are totally freaked out about this (as am I). My problem is that we have about 1200 patients in our practice with type 1 dm- does that mean statistically 6 patients in my practice will_ __eventually _drop dead in their sleep." A thorough discussion with multiple references, is on-line at the Children With Diabetes website, at The Dead in Bed Syndrome. It should be noted that different authors have developed different definitions for the Dead in Bed Syndrome (sometimes abbreviated DIB), and partially as a result of the differing definitions, and probably mainly as a result of differing patient populations (e.g., country where the study was done, degree of diabetes control of the patients, age breakdown, etc.) the rate of DIB varies widely. The Dead in Bed Syndrome was first discussed in 1991 when the Professional Advisory Committee of the British Diabetic Association published a report, Unexplained deaths of type 1 diabetic patients. They evaluated 50 autopsied deaths of people with Continue reading >>
Life Expectancy For Type 1 Diabetes
New study shows recent improvement in years of life lost. With minimal studies to evaluate the impact of type 1 diabetes on life expectancy, studies have been developed to retrospectively look at the effects of diabetes on mortality. Diabetes was also compared to other disease states and causes that had an influence on years of life lost (YLL). The YLL of patients with type 1 diabetes and patients with other disease states were compared to those of the general healthy population. This autoimmune disorder accounts for 10% of all Americans diagnosed with diabetes, and the ability to prevent the development of type 1 diabetes is minimal. Causes have been linked to genetics, and viral infections such as mumps, rubella, cytomegalovirus, measles, influenza, encephalitis, polio, or Epstein-Barr virus. In a study conducted on Australians with type 1 diabetes between the years of 1997 and 2010, researchers looked at the estimated YLL of the type 1 diabetic patients compared to the general public. Researchers used the Chiang method to estimate life expectancy and Arriaga’s method to estimate the impact of age-specific and cause-specific mortalities. Results showed no disparity in terms of YLL from type 1 diabetes in women vs. men. When the YLL was organized into two groups, 1997-2003 and 2004-2010, the 2004-2010 groups showed improvement in life expectancies of 1.9 years in men and 1.5 years in women. Overall, over the time period of the study, patients with type 1 diabetes had a life expectancy of 12.2 years less than the general population. The majority of the YLL was attributed to endocrine and metabolic diseases that occurred between the ages of 10-39, and circulatory diseases that occurred after the age of 40. Medical advances over the years may account for the YLL improve Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Life Expectancy: Ending Myths And Getting Started On Your Best Life Yet
For far too long, diabetes has been associated with shorter-than-average life spans and a lower quality of life for those people with the condition. But as it turns out, when diabetes is managed well, this is often not the case. With the proper tools, attitude, and support system, anyone with diabetes can change the course of their health. Why Having Diabetes Doesn’t Necessarily Mean You’ll Die Sooner It’s true that, when you consider heart-related cardiovascular complications, men and women with diabetes tend to have higher rates of early death than their peers without the disease, according to research. But it’s also true that no two people with diabetes are the same, and how a person manages his or her blood sugar is key when considering how the disease might affect your life span. “Having diabetes won’t necessarily change someone's life expectancy — it's how diabetes progresses. For every individual, diabetes is going to progress differently,” says Joanne Rinker, RD, CDE, director of practice and content development at the American Association of Diabetes Educators. “If it progresses at an extremely slow rate, because diabetes is so individualized, it might be so slow that it does not impact their life expectancy whatsoever.” Instead of thinking only about how diabetes will impact your life span, experts suggest that people with the condition should take a broader look at their overall health. “Diabetes is not a singular disease that one should focus on. Focus on how you can improve the different risk factors that can impact the functioning of the heart and other organs,” says Medha Munshi, MD, director of geriatric diabetes programs at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. “It's important to think, ‘What are the factors that would impact Continue reading >>
7 Scary Things That Can Happen When You Don't Treat Your Diabetes
Swallowing pills, checking your blood sugar all the time, or sticking yourself with needles full of insulin probably doesn't sound like your idea of a good time. But taking steps to keep your diabetes under control is your best shot at preventing a slew of frightening complications. If you don't take care of yourself, "diabetes complications typically start within 5 years; within 10 to 15 years, the majority of patients will progress to have multiple health issues," says Betul Hatipoglu, MD, an endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic. Fortunately, eating a nutritious diet, exercising, and taking your medication may not only stop complications from progressing, but can also reverse them, she says. Need motivation to stick to your treatment plan? Here's what can happen when you slack off. With type 1 diabetes, your body stops producing insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar; with type 2 diabetes, your body can't properly use the insulin you do produce. In turn, your HDL (or "good") cholesterol lowers, and your levels of harmful blood fats called triglycerides rise. Insulin resistance also contributes to hardened, narrow arteries, which in turn increases your blood pressure. As a result, about 70% of people with either type of diabetes also have hypertension—a risk factor for stroke, heart disease, and trouble with thinking and memory. (Add these 13 power foods to your diet to help lower blood pressure naturally.) Failing to control high blood pressure and high cholesterol, either with diet and exercise alone or by adding medications, accelerates the rate at which all your other complications progress, says Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, chief medical officer at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. More than 4 million people with diabetes have some degree of retinopathy, or dam Continue reading >>
Can A Diabetic Person With Age 35 Can Have A Life Span Of 70 And How To Manage It By Not Taking Medication
Kapalbhati & anulomvilom are Yoga exercise and if you do some exercise of 30 minutes in the morning & 30 minutes in the evening you can definitely control diabetes & if possible about 15 minutes fast walk. The Yoga book /C.D is available at almost every book shop. Diabetes UK estimates in its report, Diabetes in the UK 2010: Key Statistics on Diabetes, that the life expectancy of someone with type 2 diabetes is likely to be reduced, as a result of the condition, by up to 10 years. People with type 1 diabetes have traditionally lived shorter lives, with life expectancy having been quoted as being reduced by over 20 years. However, improvement in diabetes care in recent decades indicates that people with type 1 diabetes are now living significantly longer. * Overall, the risk for death among people with diabetes is about twice that of people of similar age without diabetes. * Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about 2 to 4 times higher than adults without diabetes. * The risk for stroke is 2 to 4 times higher among people with diabetes. Monitoring and controlling the levels of diabetes indicators, including HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial plasma glucose (PPG), body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and lipids, is an integral component of diabetes care at every stage of the disease. Diabetic patients should conduct the following tests periodically. A: HbA1c. HbA1c is a lab test that shows the average level of blood sugar (glucose) over the previous 3 months. It shows how well you are controlling your diabetes. B: Control your high Blood pressure, if any. Normal blood pressure- <120/80 mmHg. C: Control your blood Cholesterol: Normal cholesterol < 200 mg/dL. LDL <100 mg/dL HDL > 40 mg/dL Triglyceride < 150 mg/dL. D: Diabetic education. Denta Continue reading >>
Man Celebrates 85 Years Of Living With Diabetes
When Bob Krause turned 90 last week, it was by virtue of an unflagging determination and a mentality of precision that kept his body humming after being diagnosed with diabetes as a boy. A leading diabetes research center named the San Diego resident the first American known to live 85 years with the disease, a life that has paralleled — and benefited from — the evolution in treatment. Krause's wife of 56 years, his family and friends celebrated his longevity Sunday with a party and a medal from the Joslin Diabetes Center to commemorate his 85-year milestone. "Bob has outlived the life expectation of a normal healthy person born in 1921," said his physician, Dr. Patricia Wu, attributing Krause's success to his strong character. "He knows that he has to deal with this and he sees this as a part of his life, he doesn't let this get him down." The trim, white-haired Krause puts it more succinctly: "I'm a stubborn old man. I refuse to give up." That trait certainly plays into how closely he has tracked his body's chemistry and become expert in the life-saving math that has kept his diabetes under control. About 18.8 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes and an estimated 7 million more live with the disease unwittingly. Krause's form of diabetes, type 1, was once known more commonly as juvenile diabetes, and the more common form of diabetes often tied to obesity is type 2. About 3 million Americans live with type 1 diabetes, a chronic illness in which their bodies don't make enough insulin, which is needed to convert blood sugar into energy. The exact cause is unknown, though genetics and autoimmune problems are thought to play a role. Life expectancy is diminished for many diabetics because they face a higher risk of serious health complications, including Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Faqs
Common questions about type 2 diabetes: How do you treat type 2 diabetes? When you have type 2 diabetes, you first need to eat a healthy diet, stay physically active and lose any extra weight. If these lifestyle changes cannot control your blood sugar, you also may need to take pills and other injected medication, including insulin. Eating a healthy diet, being physically active, and losing any extra weight is the first line of therapy. “Diet and exercise“ is the foundation of all diabetes management because it makes your body’s cells respond better to insulin (in other words, it decreases insulin resistance) and lowers blood sugar levels. If you cannot normalize or control the blood sugars with diet, weight loss and exercise, the next treatment phase is taking medicine either orally or by injection. Diabetes pills work in different ways – some lower insulin resistance, others slow the digestion of food or increase insulin levels in the blood stream. The non-insulin injected medications for type 2 diabetes have a complicated action but basically lower blood glucose after eating. Insulin therapy simply increases insulin in the circulation. Don’t be surprised if you have to use multiple medications to control the blood sugar. Multiple medications, also known as combination therapy is common in the treatment of diabetes! If one medication is not enough, you medical provider may give you two or three or more different types of pills. Insulin or other injected medications also may be prescribed. Or, depending on your medical condition, you may be treated only with insulin or injected medication therapy. Many people with type 2 diabetes have elevated blood fats (high triglycerides and cholesterol) and blood pressure, so you may be given medications for these problem Continue reading >>
How Long Can A Diabetic Go Without Food?
A diabetic cannot go without food for long. If a diabetic doesn't eat regularly, her blood glucose level can plummet. Diabetics should eat snacks and meals on a schedule because a delay of as little as half an hour can lower blood sugar, which can have catastrophic results. Diabetics are especially prone to a condition known as hypoglycemia, a reaction caused by too much insulin in the bloodstream. Once a diabetic takes insulin, it is important to eat something within 30 minutes before blood sugar begins dropping. The dose of insulin you take must also match the amount of carbohydrates you consume in order to keep blood sugar levels under control. When a diabetic does not eat enough food, but still administers insulin, blood glucose levels can drop dangerously low, inducing hypoglycemia. Early signs of hypoglycemia include dizziness, weakness, headache, hunger or shakiness. If blood glucose drops too low, a person can become confused or even lose consciousness. In some cases, insulin shock can lead to coma. Although all diabetics suffer hypoglycemia at times, according to the American Diabetes Association, you should talk to your doctor about what your blood glucose levels should be. If your blood sugar falls below what your doctor recommends, you are likely hypoglycemic. When hypoglycemia occurs, you need to get some sugar into your body quickly. Fruit juice, milk, a few pieces of hard candy, or a tablespoon of sugar or honey can help raise glucose levels in the blood temporarily. Diabetics often need to adjust the doses of insulin they take depending on how many grams of carbohydrates they eat for a meal or snack. While this balance can be different for one person than for another, counting the carbohydrates you consume allows you to maintain a healthful blood glucose Continue reading >>
How Long Can A Diabetic Live With Alcoholism And Drug Addiction?
Loonymoon asked... My husband is a diabetic,with alcohol cirrhosis, Hepatitis D and a crystal meth abuser. His diabetes is out of control, his a1C is up and down. He had a GI bleed 5 years ago and was told he had to quit drinking, yet still continues too and abuse drugs daily. We have been separated now for almost 3 years and he still refuses to get help. He is 60 years old. How long can someone with his health problems continue without serious side effects? Expert Answers As a nurse, it is not in my realm of expertise to predict health outcomes. His doctor would be best equipped to respond. That said, with the number of significant issues facing your husband, I would think that the timeline is short before he experiences a serious health consequence. For some people, that's what triggers an interest in self-care. He has to be ready to make a change. He currently continues to use drugs and alcohol, and refuses help. That is a huge strain on those in his family circle. The best you can do is take care of yourself. Have you considered seeking professional counseling from a local recovery program for families of addicts? Alternatively, an Al-Anon meeting may be useful (specializes in the effects alcoholism has on the family) as well as a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. It is difficult, but time well spent. You can take action "” if you haven't already "” rather than wait the other shoe to drop. Community Answers I am a recovering addict,I have been clean a little over 6 years and I really agree with what I read in the other answer. Sometimes the people who love us the most need just as much help, cause although the addict is busy getting loaded and not feeling a thing, our loved ones feel it all. It helps to get support and answers from people who have been there and are Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms, Signs, Diet, And Treatment
Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which cells cannot use blood sugar (glucose) efficiently for energy. This happens when the cells become insensitive to insulin and the blood sugar gradually gets too high. There are two types of diabetes mellitus, type 1 and type 2. In type 2, the pancreas still makes insulin, but the cells cannot use it very efficiently. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas cannot make insulin due to auto-immune destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells. Type 2 can be caused by: Lack of activity (sedentary behavior) Genetics Risk factors include: Being overweight Being sedentary including watching more than 2 hours of TV per day Drinking soda Consuming too much sugar and processed food The signs and symptoms of this type of this type of diabetes are sometimes subtle. The major symptom is often being overweight. Other symptoms and signs include: Urinating a lot Gaining or losing weight unintentionally Dark skin under armpits, chin, or groin Unusual odor to urine Blurry vision Often there are no specific symptoms of the condition and it goes undiagnosed until routine blood tests are ordered. A blood sugar level more than 125 when fasting or more than 200 randomly is a diagnosis for diabetes. Treatment is with diet and lifestyle changes that include eating less sugary foods, and foods that are high in simple carbohydrates (sugar, bread, and pasta.) Sometimes a person will need to take drugs, for example, metformin (Glucophage). People with both types of diabetes need monitor their blood sugar levels often to avoid high (hyperglycemia) and low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia). Complications include heart and kidney disease, neuropathy, sexual and/or urinary problems, foot problems, and eye problems. This health condition can be prevented by following a Continue reading >>
Ask The Diabetes Team
Question: From Whitworth, United Kingdom: How long can someone live without insulin? Answer: The fact that you are asking the question has me suspiciously worried! I hope you are not trying to hurt yourself or planning to see how long you can go without insulin. The answer, perhaps, mostly lies in how long the person has had type 1 diabetes. For someone like yourself, who indicated that you have had diabetes for more than 10 years, you MIGHT be able to live for 7 to 10 or so days without insulin. But, the death would be awful and difficult and not peaceful. You would begin to have much urination and be extremely thirsty; but, you would also develop abdominal pain and get nauseated and vomit so you might drink but not be able to keep anything down with all the vomiting. You would start to get achy and sore and could have a terrible headache as your brain began to swell! You would have blurred vision and would begin to become delirious before you probably would go into a coma and become brain dead. The death would be awful to watch and impossible to bear by those that love you. And even if you did not progress that far to death, if there were too much delay before you could get taken to an emergency room, the damage may already have been done and it might be too late to reverse matters back to normal. DO NOT OMIT YOUR INSULIN DOSES. Additional comments from Dr. Tessa Lebinger: Some children and teenagers are so dependent on insulin, they could develop life threatening ketoacidosis in less than one day if they skip their insulin, especially if they are sick with another illness. Most people who make no insulin are very uncomfortable within 12 hours of missing a dose. People who are still making a lot of insulin and are still in the remission phase, may be able to stop insu Continue reading >>
Nick Jonas On Flying The Diabetes Flag High!
Singer, songwriter, actor Nick Jonas, 23, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 10 years ago. As a fellow type 1 myself, and a regular blogger for OnTrack Diabetes, I was thrilled when I got the call about the chance to interview Jonas! He's been my dia-crush (person with diabetes who has a crush on another diabetic) ever since I heard him croon with his brothers. Even cooler in my mind (other then his global superstar status) is that he's down-to-earth and actually cares about raising diabetes awareness. So how does he hope his non-profit, Beyond Type 1, will help people with diabetes? What does he look for in a 'type 3'? What's the nicest thing someone has done for him to support his diabetes? Read my exclusive interview with this bright star (and dia-badass!) to find out. Tell me about your type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Ten years ago when I was 13 and touring with my brothers, I noticed a dramatic change in my body and my mood. I’ve always been a very upbeat person, but suddenly, I was irritable all the time. I was constantly thirsty and always needing to use the bathroom. I also started losing weight rapidly—20 pounds in two weeks! Something was very wrong. I felt sluggish, drained, like a balloon losing air. I was struggling to get through my tour and finally decided to make an appointment to meet with my doctor. She ordered several tests, including my blood glucose. My level had spiraled out of control to over 800—I was immediately rushed to the hospital. It was absolutely terrifying. The doctors told me I had type 1 diabetes. How did you initially handle the news? It was truly one of the most frightening moments of my life. I was shocked at first. And my family was just as panicked. But the real scare was I had to quickly learn so much. It was completely overwhel Continue reading >>
