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From our team of medical experts. Why This Matters to You According to new research from the University of Oxford, people who have type 2 diabetes before the age of 40 face nearly a four times higher risk of death when compared to the general population. Type 2 diabetes was once considered a disease of middle and older persons.
But, an increasing number of younger adults are being diagnosed with this condition earlier in their lives--especially before the age of 40. What This Means for Your Health If You're Under 40 and have been diagnosed with diabetes: You're more likely to develop eye and kidney problems earlier. Blood sugar control may be more challenging.
This higher incidence of diabetes represents a growing public and personal health crisis because this younger cohort will face decades of managing a chronic condition with a longer exposure rate to high blood sugar and its negative effects. Key Quotes: "Over the past 30 years, the number of young adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has increased markedly worldwide," says Professor Amanda Adler , co-author and Professor of Diabetic Medicine at Oxford University. "Evidence to date suggests that younger-onset type 2 diabetes, characterised by earlier and longer exposure to high levels of blood glucose, may be more aggressive than later onset disease.
This might include faster deterioration in β-cell function – the cells in the pancreas that p.
