Life Expectancy with Diabetes

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Jenny65

Jenny65

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I have been busy reading up on the condition to see if there is anything else I can do to protect my health as much as possible when I came across an article by Medical News Today, that suggested a diabetic reduced their life expectancy by 10 years, as I am 57 and I would assume like my parents I would live to about 75, its made me a but panicky as that would mean I will meet with my maker in 8 years when I am 65, which seems not far away and I haven't even been a grandma yet or done half the things I want to do in my retirement which I guess I wont see as I retire at 67 :(

Can someone please cheer me up and say if well managed it will have less of an impact on life expectancy, this has made me very sad, sorry if I have depressed anyone else with this thread but cant really mention this to my family or they would also be upset.
 
Jenny65 said:
Can someone please cheer me up and say if well managed it will have less of an impact on life expectancy, this has made me very sad, sorry if I have depressed anyone else with this thread but cant really mention this to my family or they would also be upset.
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I think the "10 years" is an old number, and there's likely quite a strong influence of people who went for a long time without being diagnosed (which still happens, but one hopes a little less now).

I think we all hope (reasonably, I think) that good management and treatment will reduce that by quite a lot.
 
If you do everything you can to look after yourself and keep your diabetes under control the there’s no reason why you shouldn’t live as long as anyone else. My mum has been type 1 since 1967 when she was 22, there was no home blood testing equipment then, she doesn’t take anywhere near as much care of her diabetes as we’ve been taught and she’s still here at the ripe old age of 78 and has no intention of going anywhere any time soon! Don’t panic 🙂
 
My approach has been to ignore these statistics about life expectancy. Two reasons for this
- they are based on the average person with diabetes and I do not see myself as average as I do my best to manage my blood sugars and keep healthy with lots of exercise and eye on my diet,
- they are based on history before we had the likes of technology such as Libre and an understanding of what reduces our levels.
 
Sally71 said:
If you do everything you can to look after yourself and keep your diabetes under control the there’s no reason why you shouldn’t live as long as anyone else. My mum has been type 1 since 1967 when she was 22, there was no home blood testing equipment then, she doesn’t take anywhere near as much care of her diabetes as we’ve been taught and she’s still here at the ripe old age of 78 and has no intention of going anywhere any time soon! Don’t panic 🙂
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This is just what I needed to hear @Sally71 its a true testimony of someone living with the condition 🙂 Thank you so much for calming me down. I am still very new to this and go from feeling like I am in control and will get it sorted to reading things like this or the other day, speaking to my sons friend, who said his uncle had diabetes, I asked how he coped, he said he went blind, I asked if he is managing his levels now, he then said no he gave up the dialysis and died :( not what I needed to hear straight after being diagnosed. I am glad you have shared as that has given me some perspective and balance x
 
helli said:
My approach has been to ignore these statistics about life expectancy. Two reasons for this
- they are based on the average person with diabetes and I do not see myself as average as I do my best to manage my blood sugars and keep healthy with lots of exercise and eye on my diet,
- they are based on history before we had the likes of technology such as Libre and an understanding of what reduces our levels.
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I am going to try and see myself in the same way. I mean giving up smoking, and changing to a healthy diet, exercise etc, basically there is nothing else I can do, unless they prescribe medication as well. I am fearful of my cholesterol level too, do you know if you lower it, the fat in your arteries will flow away or is it permanent damage?
 
Jenny65 said:
I am going to try and see myself in the same way. I mean giving up smoking, and changing to a healthy diet, exercise etc, basically there is nothing else I can do, unless they prescribe medication as well. I am fearful of my cholesterol level too, do you know if you lower it, the fat in your arteries will flow away or is it permanent damage?
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Perhaps you should have a read of this.
forum.diabetes.org.uk

A Basic Guide to Cholesterol: Myths & Misconceptions

https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog/a-basic-guide-to-cholesterol-part-3-myths-misconceptions/ A handy succinct collection of responses to common cholesterol misinformation.
forum.diabetes.org.uk forum.diabetes.org.uk
 
helli said:
- they are based on history before we had the likes of technology such as Libre and an understanding of what reduces our levels.
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I sometimes feel worried that I'm not doing that brilliantly (so why can't I have a pump?) but then I'm reminded that many people with Type 1 have HbA1c over 70 (whereas I'm much more low 50s, usually). In general I suspect members of this (and other) forums are a very atypical sample of people with diabetes.
 
Jenny65 said:
This is just what I needed to hear @Sally71 its a true testimony of someone living with the condition 🙂 Thank you so much for calming me down. I am still very new to this and go from feeling like I am in control and will get it sorted to reading things like this or the other day, speaking to my sons friend, who said his uncle had diabetes, I asked how he coped, he said he went blind, I asked if he is managing his levels now, he then said no he gave up the dialysis and died :( not what I needed to hear straight after being diagnosed. I am glad you have shared as that has given me some perspective and balance x
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I don’t know why it is, but as soon as you start telling people you’ve been diagnosed with something, half of them immediately trot out all their horror stories as if that’s somehow helpful! Ignore them, they probably don’t know what they are talking about. Diabetes is one of those things that pretty much everyone thinks they know about but most of them don’t. Unless you have diabetes yourself or are caring for someone who does, you don’t know anywhere near as much as you think you do. Someone whose uncle had it probably doesn’t know much at all.

The people who go blind or have amputations etc are usually the ones who have just stuck their head in the sand for 20 years and hoped it would go away, whilst all the time carrying on eating a ton of carbs every day and not attending their doctor appointments. If you’re making the effort to look after yourself then you should be fine.
 
It might well take an average of ten years off a diabetic life.
But, you need to consider diabetes quite often goes hand in hand with a lifestyle that includes poor diet, being overweight, under exercise, smoking, and a host of other poor lifestyle choices.

We, and you, aren't the normal diabetic though.
We've took the diagnosis, and turned it around to make massive lifestyle improvements.
I actually think being diagnosed diabetic gave me the impetus to make changes that added years into my life.
 
Jenny65 said:
I have been busy reading up on the condition to see if there is anything else I can do to protect my health as much as possible when I came across an article by Medical News Today, that suggested a diabetic reduced their life expectancy by 10 years, as I am 57 and I would assume like my parents I would live to about 75, its made me a but panicky as that would mean I will meet with my maker in 8 years when I am 65, which seems not far away and I haven't even been a grandma yet or done half the things I want to do in my retirement which I guess I wont see as I retire at 67 :(

Can someone please cheer me up and say if well managed it will have less of an impact on life expectancy, this has made me very sad, sorry if I have depressed anyone else with this thread but cant really mention this to my family or they would also be upset.
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None of us is getting any younger, so it's a good idea to be mentally and physically prepared. Prepare a thought out bucket list, which allows for reduced mobility due to aging and failing health.

You have to balance your seesaw: plan and prepare for the future, vs live everyday as if it's your last.

This is true for all people, diabetic or not.
The Grim Reaper is the master of equality.
 
I was diagnosed at age 12 in 1967 and was then advised I could probably make it to age 50. I did not look after myself at all (I was a pretty wild youngster) until I was about age 40 when I was diagnosed with background retinopathy and decided I did not want to go blind before I died (at age 50, remember).

I still have “background retinopathy” but have just celebrated my 67th birthday, and have every intention of living for at least another 20 years. I do look after myself a bit better now, but have no expectations that I will do that perfectly (rather like Sally’s mum I expect).

But everyone is different and the best you can do is just the best you can do. You may fall under a bus tomorrow, you may be diagnosed with any number of other life limiting conditions so I would not obsess about the diabetes, just do the best you can!
 
The real answer is, we don’t know. The people with diabetes who are getting old now, would have had a vastly different level of care and knowledge when younger, than we do now. Diabetes care, technology, even things like the internet allowing us to learn from each other, has changed so much and so fast over the last 100 years that it’s an impossible question and any stats you see will be based on worse experiences than we have now.
 
Jenny65 said:
I have been busy reading up on the condition to see if there is anything else I can do to protect my health as much as possible when I came across an article by Medical News Today, that suggested a diabetic reduced their life expectancy by 10 years, as I am 57 and I would assume like my parents I would live to about 75, its made me a but panicky as that would mean I will meet with my maker in 8 years when I am 65, which seems not far away and I haven't even been a grandma yet or done half the things I want to do in my retirement which I guess I wont see as I retire at 67 :(

Can someone please cheer me up and say if well managed it will have less of an impact on life expectancy, this has made me very sad, sorry if I have depressed anyone else with this thread but cant really mention this to my family or they would also be upset.
Click to expand...
Best thing to do is stop reading google and the like and enjoy life. The rate you are going you will have popped your clogs in a few weeks from stress.🙄

As long as you manage your diabetes there is no reason not to live a full and healthy life.
One of my nr neighbours passed away in February aged 93 he was diagnosed with type2 diabetes almost 50 years ago.

My Uncle died last year aged 86 he was diagnosed within 6mths of me and I've had type1 for 57 years. Uncle survived his brother (My father by 8 years) who did not have diabetes in any shape or form.
 
Most of my family lived into their 80s and a few into their 90s but the older ones ate low carb whilst the younger ones were diagnosed with type 2 - but they are all still alive.
I am 71 and the oldest grandchild - and I just ate a pork chop and low carb stirfry to ensure I will go on being so for some time to come.
 
Drummer said:
Most of my family lived into their 80s and a few into their 90s but the older ones ate low carb whilst the younger ones were diagnosed with type 2 - but they are all still alive.
I am 71 and the oldest grandchild - and I just ate a pork chop and low carb stirfry to ensure I will go on being so for some time to come.
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Off topic but every time I see your profile pic it takes me back to my childhood, I loved Rupert 🙂
 
Jenny65 said:
Off topic but every time I see your profile pic it takes me back to my childhood, I loved Rupert 🙂
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Ah - when other children got selection boxes, I had a Rupert annual every year - unfortunately I also had younger siblings and the books did not survive. When I got older there were classic novels, and then a typewriter - later still a word processor and then a PC - good thing really, I must have worked my way through quite a few reams of paper just on my output using a fountain pen, and several trees worth must have gone through the printer before I switched to the internet.
Pity the profile picture frame was changed from square to circular as it cut off the lantern - I must look for the original and see if I can adjust it a little.
 
Like @travellor I see my diabetes diagnosis as potentially extending my lifespan rather than reducing it because I have used it as the kick up the backside I needed to make healthier changes to my lifestyle. It sounds like you are doing the same, so I think there is every reason for you to be optimistic rather than pessimistic.
I am sure we all know diabetic people who just rely on the medication to somehow magically manage their diabetes without doing anything to change the unhealthy lifestyle that got them the diagnosis or is making it worse. Those are the people who are causing that statistic to be so high. I think there has also been a problem with the NHS not giving people appropriate advice and in fact some Drs still perpetuate the pessimistic myth that diabetes is progressive. I am sure if people feel "doomed", they are far less likely to make lifestyle changes because, well... what is the point!

I know for a fact that I feel younger and fitter and healthier than I did before diagnosis so I see no reason why my diagnosis should shorten my lifespan and feel very confident that it may even have not only extended it but also improved my quality of life. I am certainly not going to worry about dying anytime soon. Why would I when I feel better than I have in 20 years??
 
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