The effects of diabetes on life expectancy are unfortunate. Generally, a person who has diabetes has a shorter life expectancy than that of a person who is free of the disease. The life expectancies of individuals with this disease may be further decreased if they have other conditions along with diabetes. For example, a person who has both diabetes and heart or kidney disease may have a shorter life expectancy than a person who has diabetes alone. Additionally, the medical care a person receives also influences his life expectancy, as a person with well-managed diabetes may have a good chance of living longer than a person whose diabetes is insufficiently treated.
Chronic conditions can wreak havoc on a person’s health, and diabetes is no exception. Unfortunately, having diabetes may lower a person’s life expectancy by several years. Life expectancy can be influenced by many different things, however. For example, a person’s age and gender influence his life expectancy; even his lifestyle and occupation may influence this number. It is important to note, however, that life expectancy statistics cannot predict exactly how long a person will live.
One of the factors that may influence the effect of diabetes on life expectancy is the presence of other conditions. People who have diabetes and another chronic condition may have lowered life expectancies. For example, having both diabetes and heart disease may lower a person’s life expectancy. The same goes for other diseases and conditions that may damage a person’s health and lead to other health problems. They include, but are not limited to, such conditions as kidney disease, high blood pressure, and cancer.
The effect of diabetes on life expectancy can also be influenced by the quality of care a person receives. A person who receives regular, quality treatment can usually expect to live longer than a person who does not receive treatment, deviates from his doctor’s treatment plan, or receives inadequate treatment. Additionally, the length of time a person has diabetes before he receives treatment may also affect his life expectancy. Those who have untreated diabetes for a long period of time may suffer permanent health damage that may shorten their lives.
Interestingly, the effect of diabetes on life expectancy may also be related to obesity. Individuals who have diabetes related to obesity may have a lowered life expectancy. This may be partially due to the fact that obesity raises a person’s risk of developing other conditions that lower one’s life expectancy. For example, an obese person who has diabetes may also have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease.
