Understanding Diabetes Life Expectancy: What You Need to Know

Diabetes is one of those chronic health challenges that can be managed effectively with lifestyle adjustments and medications. However, one may wonder if they can live a normal life or have a full life expectancy with the condition.

Let’s explore the facts and factors that can affect the quality of life and longevity of people with diabetes.

Key Takeaways

• According to global data, average life expectancy is ~77 years for men and ~82 years for women, though this varies by country. Diabetes can increase the risk of heart disease, kidney disease, and other complications that may shorten lifespan. Large studies suggest that people with diabetes may live ~6 years shorter on average than those without the condition, though this gap is narrowing with better treatment and management.
• Diabetes can lead to complications like heart disease and kidney disease, which can affect life expectancy.
• It is estimated that, on average, people with diabetes die six years earlier than people without diabetes.
• The impact of diabetes on life expectancy largely depends on how soon a diagnosis is made, treatment commences, and how well the condition is managed. It also depends on any pre-existing condition and the progression of any diabetes complications.
• Each decade of earlier diabetes diagnosis may result in about 3-4 years of lower life expectancy. This statistic highlights the need to develop and implement interventions that prevent or delay diabetes.

Understanding Diabetes and its Impact on Life Expectancy

Diabetes is a chronic condition characterized by high blood sugar levels. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes come from different causes: In type 1, the pancreas does not make insulin because the body’s immune system mistakenly destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas produces less insulin than it used to, and your body becomes resistant to insulin.

Prolonged blood sugar levels as a result of type 1 or type 2 diabetes can cause severe complications and reduce life expectancy. The question now is, how is the life expectancy of type 1 diabetes similar or different from type 2 diabetes?

Type 1 Diabetes Life Expectancy

Before insulin was discovered in 1921, people with type 1 diabetes lived for only about three years after its onset.

With modern insulin therapies and technology, people with type 1 diabetes are living much longer than in the past, but studies still show a shorter life expectancy compared with people without diabetes. Recent European registry data estimate a reduction of about 7–12 years on average, with better outcomes linked to tight blood sugar control, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and avoiding smoking.

Men with type 1 diabetes live approximately 11.1 years less than men without the condition, while women live around 7.9 years less than women without the disease, mainly due to higher risks of cardiovascular events, which factors like insulin management, undertreatment, and hormonal differences may influence. This suggests the importance of personalized treatment for women to reduce complications and improve life expectancy.

Women with type 1 diabetes tend to die younger than men with the condition. This is true across all causes of death associated with diabetes, but the reasons are somewhat complex. However, some experts attribute women’s shorter life expectancy with type 1 diabetes to the significant risks they face during pregnancy. But it could also be linked to the perception that heart disease is mainly associated with men, and this can make it more challenging to recognize it in women. Women may also not experience symptoms that have traditionally been considered typical for heart disease, further complicating diagnosis.

Type 2 Diabetes Life Expectancy

People with type 2 diabetes diagnosed at midlife typically live 5–10 years shorter than peers without diabetes, though this varies greatly with age at diagnosis, glucose control, and comorbidities. A 2023 analysis of over 1.5 million people (University of Cambridge & University of Glasgow) found that each decade earlier diagnosis reduces life expectancy by ~3–4 years. Early and intensive management can substantially close this gap.

If you have type 2 diabetes, your risk of complications like heart attack, stroke, kidney issues, and cancer increases, and your life expectancy decreases, with earlier diagnosis resulting in significant reductions in life expectancy.

In the US, people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at ages 30, 40, and 50 tend to die around 14, 10, and 6 years earlier, respectively, with similar trends seen in the EU. Women generally experience slightly higher reductions in life expectancy than men as a result of type 2 diabetes.

Factors Affecting Life Expectancy in Diabetics

The longevity of people living with diabetes can be affected by factors like their age when they got the diagnosis, quality of healthcare, lifestyle, comorbidities, and complications.

Age

According to researchers, receiving a diagnosis at 30 can result in up to 14 years lower life expectancy. This figure drops significantly to only about 6 years shorter life expectancy if you are diagnosed at 50. This highlights the importance of the age at which you are diagnosed with the condition in determining how long you will live.

Quality of Healthcare

Poorly managed diabetes (poor glycemic control) leaves the patient with prolonged high sugar levels and A1c levels. This can increase the risk of complications and reduction of quality and expectancy of life.

Comorbidities

Diabetes comorbidities are conditions that usually coexist with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, usually as a result of diabetes-related complications.

Living with diabetes alone without any complications or comorbidities presents a good prognosis for diabetic patients, which translates to longer life expectancy.

However, comorbidities like kidney disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, and stroke can compound the disease and result in earlier fatalities.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle plays a central role in diabetes outcomes. Diets rich in whole grains, vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats support blood sugar control, while limiting added sugars and refined carbs helps prevent spikes. Regular physical activity (≥150 minutes/week of moderate intensity, per ADA guidelines) improves insulin sensitivity and reduces cardiovascular risk. Smoking increases type 2 diabetes risk by 30–40% and worsens complications; quitting is one of the most powerful steps for extending life expectancy.

Eating high-carb and low-fiber foods without a blend of lean proteins and healthy fats can cause constant and prolonged high blood glucose levels and excessive weight gain. This can increase the chances of life-threatening complications.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, CDC, smoking not only increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 30%-40% but also makes insulin injections less effective in managing the condition. This can cause complications like neuropathy and nephropathy and reduce life expectancy.

The role of physical activities in improving diabetic life expectancy is often downplayed, and wrongly so. The CDC suggests that being active as a diabetic makes your body more sensitive to insulin, which is essential for improved diabetes management. Regular exercise also helps control blood sugar levels and lowers your risk of heart disease and nerve damage, which are the two major causes of diabetes-related fatalities.

Strategies for Improving Diabetic Life Expectancy

Improving your life expectancy with diabetes starts with learning about the disease and how to live with it.

To maximize life expectancy with diabetes:

• Manage stress and sleep: Both directly affect glucose regulation.
• Stay physically active: Aim for at least 150 minutes/week of moderate activity (e.g., brisk walking, cycling), plus strength training twice weekly. Even light activity helps.
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight: Studies show lowering BMI from severely obese to near-normal can add 2–4 years of life expectancy.
• Follow your treatment plan: Consistent use of prescribed medications (metformin, insulin, GLP-1 RA, SGLT2 inhibitors, etc.) alongside lifestyle is crucial.
• Monitor blood glucose and A1C: Regular checks allow timely adjustments.

Another critical strategy for improving your life expectancy is losing weight if you are overweight or obese. According to studies, a lower BMI can lead to an additional 2-3.9 years of life for people with diabetes. Specifically, lowering your BMI from 41.4 to 24.3 can add 3.9 years to your life expectancy.

Besides sticking with your doctor-prescribed diabetes medications, weight loss can be achieved through healthy lifestyles, like balanced, low-carb, high-fiber, protein-rich diets and physical activities. These measures will go a long way to improving your quality of life and promoting longevity with diabetes.

Most importantly, to live a healthier, longer life with diabetes, you have to monitor your blood glucose levels and ensure they don’t stay too high or too low. Knowing your sugar levels will show you how your treatment plans, including diet, exercise routine, and medications, are working. And where things are not working out well, you can easily make the necessary adjustments.

It’s also crucial to manage your stress levels as a diabetic. Studies have shown that stress can induce diabetes or worsen the condition if you have already been diagnosed. When stressed, your body releases catecholamines and increases glucocorticoid levels, leading to higher insulin requirements and insulin resistance. For people with diabetes, ongoing stress might contribute to persistent high blood sugar levels. Hence, managing your stress can help you control your glucose levels, manage diabetes, and live a healthier life.

It’s common for people with diabetes to develop wounds that won’t heal due to damaged nerves (diabetic neuropathy). This can increase the risk of infections that may lead to amputation and lower life expectancy. Avoiding such infections can promote longevity with diabetes.

Innovative technological advancements for diabetes management

Diabetes used to be a death sentence, with the average life expectancy after the disease onset around 3 years. However, there have been notable advancements in diabetes management in recent years, from introducing insulin pumps to other novel insulin delivery methods, such as nanomaterials for oral administration.

Recent innovations include affordable insulin biosimilars (e.g., insulin lispro, insulin glargine) and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), which improves glucose control and reduces hypoglycemia. Insulin pumps and hybrid closed-loop (“artificial pancreas”) systems are extending and improving quality of life for people with diabetes.

These advancements in diabetes management have significantly improved the life expectancy of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Conclusion

The good news is that there is always time to make positive changes and take control of your health. If you have diabetes, you must work closely with your doctor and dietician to develop a personalized management plan based on your unique needs. Remember, the right approach is the roadmap to a healthier, longer life.