Can diabetes affect your life expectancy? Diabetes is a lifelong illness that affects roughly 415 million people worldwide. Diabetes is a severe health condition that cannot be cured, only managed, and, if untreated, can kill.
This health condition is more commonly seen in overweight individuals over the age of 40 but can develop at any age. The development of this health condition will typically mean you will have to be on medication for the rest of your life.
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Can Diabetes Affect Your Life Expectancy
There are two types of diabetes at the moment; both are referred to as type 1 and type 2. The development of this illness is mainly attributed to an unhealthy lifestyle, although genetics can play a role in your chances of developing it.
Both types of diabetes affect the body in a slightly different way for different reasons, although the consequences of both types remain the same. The good news is, in some cases; Type 2 can be reversed or managed better with a more healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise.
Development of this illness leads to your body not being able to effectively lower its blood sugar levels, which in turn causes a wide array of issues and, as mentioned earlier, can cause death if left untreated. In this article, I will go over exactly how and why diabetes can affect your life expectancy, let’s get into this.
Why living with diabetes may affect your life expectancy
Living with diabetes comes with its own set of risks, as mentioned earlier, this disease means that the sufferer’s body is unable to lower its blood sugar levels. Elevated blood sugar levels for extended periods has been linked to numerous other diseases and conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Now in many cases, people with diabetes will often experience bouts of high blood sugar. None-diabetics may experience this all the time and feel fine, but this can be life-threatening to a person with diabetes.
Can Diabetes Affect Your Life Expectancy
Can diabetes affect your life expectancy? For a person with diabetes to have a high blood sugar is very dangerous and can lead to complications such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and a condition known as diabetic retinopathy. These factors alone can massively reduce diabetics’ life expectancy.
Insulin and other medications
Most diabetics are on some form of the drug known as insulin. Every individual on the planet involuntarily produces insulin in an organ known as the pancreas. This hormone is released into the body to lower your blood sugar, and it also drives nutrients into the cells of the body.
Now because people with diabetes cannot produce this hormone, they must consume or inject it every single day. As we all know, drugs and medications can be tricky; they don’t always work and can cause additional complications, which can cause even more issues than before.
Can diabetes affect your life expectancy?
Most diabetics are on numerous medications, all of which is to assist the body in the lowering of blood sugar. People with diabetes will usually work with their doctors to find the perfect treatment course for them as not all medications work the same way for everyone.
Even if the medicines are effectively doing their job, the potential for side effects among numerous other factors can put the person with diabetes at risk; this, in turn, can play a role in lowering a diabetic’s life expectancy.
Can diabetes affect your life expectancy?
The sad reality for those with diabetes is that even with professional and effective healthcare, a diabetic’s lifespan is still expected to be shortened by this condition. To maximize and live a fulfilling life, it’s incredibly important that every person with diabetes seeks and grasps the perfect medication plan alongside the ideal diet plan, this can help to ensure the diabetic has a lowered risk of additional issues directly caused by diabetes.
Even though this article may shine a bad light on all sufferers, people with diabetes can still live long and meaningful lives just as long as they are kind to their bodies. The fact is, exercise and follow your doctor’s directions and search for ways that can help with better nutrition and supplements and be more aware of your condition. Always stay active.
Conclusion
Diabetes is a very serious lifelong condition and can massively limit the sufferer’s life expectancy among other things. This illness is treatable, although not curable. While always remaining a very serious condition, those suffering from this condition can still long and fulfilling lives as long as treatment and nutrition are applied correctly and efficiently. Depending on the type of diabetes, this illness may reduce a sufferer’s life expectancy longer than expected now more than ever with treatments and proper diet and exercise.
Can diabetes affect your life expectancy? No person has a best before date on them. Just be aware and don’t do things that can be harmful. Always remember the great Blues King BB King that died in his sleep on May 14, 2015, at 89, from vascular dementia affected because of mini-strokes as a consequence of his type 2 diabetes. Not a short life there. So don’t worry, stay healthy.
Read more – Diabetes: Five Facts Everyone Should Know About Diabetes
