PEOPLE diagnosed with a common 'silent killer' before the age of 40 are nearly four times more likely to die young, experts have warned. That's compared to the general population, according to a new study by scientists at the University of Oxford. 3 Over the past 30 years, the number of young adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has increased worldwide Credit: Getty 3 Younger-onset type 2 diabetes may be more aggressive than later onset disease They focused on early-onset type 2 diabetes - a condition increasing in young people in the UK.
The study assessed whether complications and mortality rates differ for young-onset type 2 diabetes compared with those who are diagnosed at an older age. It found while adults with later-onset type 2 diabetes have a one-and-a-half times higher risk of death compared with the general population, this was much lower than the increased risk of death in people who are diagnosed at a younger age. Amanda Adler , co-author and professor of diabetic medicine and health policy at the University of Oxford said: "Over the past 30 years, the number of young adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has increased markedly worldwide.
Read more on diabetes FOOD FOR THOUGHT Simple diet change could 'REVERSE deadly diabetes without drugs' WAKE-UP CALL Exactly how much coffee to drink to 'slash your risk of diabetes and stroke' "Evidence to date suggests that younger-onset type 2 diabetes, characterised by earlier and longer exposure to high levels of blood glu.