A diagnosis of diabetes means losing an average of eight years from your expected life span, new research suggests. In addition, diabetics are more likely to develop heart disease sooner than non-diabetics, the study found.
"Having diabetes at age 50 years and over does not only represent a significant increase in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and mortality but also a very important loss in life expectancy and life expectancy free from cardiovascular disease," said lead author Dr Oscar H. Franco, of the University Medical Centre Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Unilever Corporate Research, Sharnbrook, England.
In the study, Franco's group collected data on more than 5,200 American men and women who participated in the ongoing Framingham Heart Study. These people were followed until they developed heart disease or died. In addition, the researchers noted whether they had diabetes.
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