What is the life expectancy of diabetics? Diabetes mellitus forecast Diabetes mellitus forecast for life

All complications of diabetes are divided into acute and late.

Acute complications are conditions that develop over days or even hours in the presence of diabetes.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious condition that develops as a result of the accumulation of intermediate fat metabolism products (ketone bodies) in the blood. It occurs with concomitant diseases, primarily infections, injuries, operations, and malnutrition. It can lead to loss of consciousness and disruption of vital body functions. It is a vital indication for urgent hospitalization.

Hypoglycemia - a decrease in blood glucose levels below normal (usually below 3.3 mmol / l), occurs due to an overdose of hypoglycemic drugs, concomitant diseases, unusual physical activity or malnutrition, and drinking strong alcohol. First aid consists in giving the patient a solution of sugar or any sweet drink inside, eating, rich in carbohydrates(sugar or honey can be kept under the tongue for faster absorption), if it is possible to inject glucagon preparations into the muscle, inject a 40% glucose solution into a vein (before injecting a 40% glucose solution, vitamin B1 must be injected subcutaneously - prevention of local muscle spasm).

Hyperosmolar coma. It occurs mainly in elderly patients with or without a history of type 2 diabetes and is always associated with severe dehydration. Polyuria and polydipsia are often seen lasting days to weeks before the onset of the syndrome. Elderly people are predisposed to hyperosmolar coma, as they are more likely to have a violation of the perception of thirst. Another difficult problem - changes in kidney function (common in the elderly) - interferes with the clearance of excess glucose in the urine. Both factors contribute to dehydration and marked hyperglycemia. The absence of metabolic acidosis is due to the presence of circulating insulin and/or lower levels of contra-insulin hormones. These two factors inhibit lipolysis and ketone production. Hyperglycemia already onset leads to glucosuria, osmotic diuresis, hyperosmolarity, hypovolemia, shock, and, if left untreated, death. It is a vital indication for urgent hospitalization. At the prehospital stage, intravenous hypotonic (0.45%) chloride solution sodium to normalize osmotic pressure, and with a sharp decrease in blood pressure, mezaton or dopamine is administered. It is also advisable (as in other comas) to carry out oxygen therapy.

Lactic acidotic coma in patients with diabetes mellitus is due to the accumulation of lactic acid in the blood and more often occurs in patients over 50 years of age against the background of cardiovascular, hepatic and renal insufficiency, reduced oxygen supply to tissues and, as a result, accumulation of lactic acid in tissues. The main reason for the development of lactic acid coma is a sharp shift in the acid-base balance to the acid side; dehydration, as a rule, is not observed with this type of coma. Acidosis causes a violation of microcirculation, the development of vascular collapse. Clinically, clouding of consciousness (from drowsiness to complete loss of consciousness), impaired breathing and the appearance of Kussmaul breathing, a decrease in blood pressure, a very small amount of urine (oliguria) or its complete absence (anuria) are noted. The smell of acetone from the mouth in patients with lactic acid coma usually does not occur, acetone in the urine is not detected. The concentration of glucose in the blood is normal or slightly elevated. It should be remembered that lactic acid coma often develops in patients receiving hypoglycemic drugs from the biguanide group (phenformin, buformin). At the prehospital stage, a 2% soda solution is injected intravenously (with the introduction of saline, acute hemolysis may develop) and oxygen therapy is carried out.

Late complications of diabetes mellitus are a group of complications that take months, and in most cases years, to develop.

Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the retina in the form of microaneurysms, pinpoint and spotted hemorrhages, solid exudates, edema, and the formation of new vessels. Ends with hemorrhages in the fundus, can lead to retinal detachment. The initial stages of retinopathy are determined in 25% of patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus. The incidence of retinopathy increases by 8% per year, so that after 8 years from the onset of the disease, retinopathy is already detected in 50% of all patients, and after 20 years in approximately 100% of patients. It is more common in type 2, the degree of its severity correlates with the severity of nephropathy. The main cause of blindness in middle-aged and elderly people.

Diabetic micro- and macroangiopathy is a violation of vascular permeability, an increase in their fragility, a tendency to thrombosis and the development of atherosclerosis (it occurs early, mainly small vessels are affected).

Diabetic polyneuropathy - most often in the form of bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the "gloves and stockings" type, starting in the lower parts of the extremities. Loss of pain and temperature sensitivity is the most important factor in the development of neuropathic ulcers and joint dislocations. Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are numbness, burning sensation, or paresthesias that begin in the distal regions of the limb. Characterized by increased symptoms at night. Loss of sensation leads to easily occurring injuries.

Diabetic nephropathy - kidney damage, first in the form of microalbuminuria (albumin protein excretion in the urine), then proteinuria. Leads to the development of chronic renal failure.

Diabetic arthropathy - joint pain, "crunching", limitation of mobility, decrease in the amount of synovial fluid and increase in its viscosity.

Diabetic ophthalmopathy, in addition to retinopathy, includes the early development of cataracts (clouding of the lens).

Diabetic encephalopathy - mental and mood changes, emotional lability or depression.

Diabetic foot is a lesion of the feet of a patient with diabetes mellitus in the form of purulent-necrotic processes, ulcers and osteoarticular lesions, which occurs against the background of changes in peripheral nerves, blood vessels, skin and soft tissues, bones and joints. It is the main cause of amputations in diabetic patients.

At present, the prognosis for all types of diabetes mellitus is conditionally favorable, with adequate treatment and dietary adherence, working capacity is maintained. The progression of complications is significantly slowed down or completely stopped. However, it should be noted that in most cases, as a result of treatment, the cause of the disease is not eliminated, and therapy is only symptomatic.

Diabetes 1 type

The life expectancy of type 1 diabetics has increased significantly in recent years with the introduction of modern insulins and self-monitoring devices. The life expectancy of those who fell ill after 1965 is 15 years longer than those who fell ill in 1950-1965.

The 30-year mortality rate for type 1 diabetics who fell ill from 1965 to 1980 is 11%, for those diagnosed with diabetes from 1950-1965, it was 35%.

The main cause of death in children aged 0-4 years is ketoacidotic coma at the onset of the disease. Teenagers are also at risk. The cause of death may be neglect of treatment, ketoacidosis, hypoglycemia. In adults, alcohol consumption is a common cause of death, as is the presence of late microvascular complications of diabetes.

Maintaining tight blood sugar control has been shown to prevent and slow the progression of, and even improve, the complications of type 1 diabetes that have already occurred.

American Bob Krause has been suffering from type 1 diabetes for 85 years, he was diagnosed at 5 summer age. He recently celebrated his 90th birthday. He still measures his blood sugar many times a day, maintains a healthy lifestyle, eats well, and is physically active. He was diagnosed in 1926, shortly after insulin was synthesized. His younger brother, who fell ill a year earlier, died because insulin was not yet available for use.

Type 2 diabetes

The prognosis for life in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus strongly correlates with the degree of disease control, and also depends on gender, age, and the presence of complications. You can calculate life expectancy using the table. If you smoke, then use the right half of the table (smoker), if you do not smoke, then the left (non-smoker). Men and women, respectively, in the upper and lower half of the table. Then we select a column according to your age and the level of glycated hemoglobin. It remains to compare the level of your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. At the intersection you will see a number - this is the life expectancy.

For example, life expectancy for a 55 year old smoker with 5 years of diabetes, blood pressure 180 mm Hg, cholesterol level 8, and HbA1c 10% will be 13 years, in the same non-smoking male, blood pressure 120 mm Hg, cholesterol 4, and glycated hemoglobin 6% will be 22 years.

Using the table, you can calculate life expectancy, as well as find out how lifestyle changes and the treatment of concomitant diseases will affect the prognosis. For example, take a 65 year old male smoker with a blood pressure of 180, an HBA1c of 8%, a total cholesterol level of 7. A decrease in glycated hemoglobin from 8 to 6% will increase life expectancy by a year, a decrease in cholesterol from 7 to 4 will increase life expectancy. life by 1.5 years, a decrease in systolic blood pressure from 180 to 120 adds 2.2 years of life, and quitting smoking will add 1.6 years of life.

Is type 2 diabetes less serious than type 1?

Type 2 diabetes usually develops more slowly than type 1. As a result, its late diagnosis is possible, after the development of complications. Since type 2 diabetes occurs at an older age, therefore, its impact on life expectancy is usually less.

If diabetes is diagnosed, how long do they live with it, do not everyone know? Life expectancy is determined, among other things, by the type of disease. There are 2 types of pathology, they are incurable, but they can be corrected. More than 200 million people in the world suffer from diabetes, and 20 million people die from it every year. Diabetes mellitus ranks third in terms of mortality after oncology and cardiovascular diseases. In Russia, 17% of the population suffer from the disease. Every 10 years the number of patients with diabetes in the world doubles and the disease continues to get younger - such is the depressing statistics.

The essence of the problem

How long do diabetics live? There are encouraging facts: in 1965, patients with type 1 diabetes died in 35% of cases early, now they live twice as long, their mortality rate has dropped to 11%. In the second type, patients live up to 70 years or more. So to believe or not to believe the statistics is a matter of choice for everyone. Endocrinologists, when asked by patients how long they live with diabetes, say that it depends on their severity, but do not go into details about the meaning of this phrase. And all you need is to warn about diet, physical activity and the need for ongoing treatment.

It turns out that some of the blame for the reduction in the lives of patients lies with the specialists.

When diabetics are diagnosed, life goes on and only you can lengthen it. The incurability of the disease must be taken immediately and not panic about it. Patients with diabetes are described by a doctor ancient greece Demetros; then this pathology was called the loss of moisture, because the person was constantly thirsty. Such people lived very little and died before the age of 30, they, as it is now clear, were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

And type 2 diabetes simply didn't exist because people didn't live to see it. What about today? With type 1, you can live with diabetes fully and efficiently, and with type 2, you can get rid of it altogether for for a long time. But miracles do not come by themselves, they must be created. The essence of the disease is that the pancreatic (pancreas) gland ceases to cope with its task of producing insulin or produces it normally, but the tissues do not absorb the hormone.

Type 1 diabetes

It is called insulin dependent because it stops the production of the hormone by the gland. This type of DM is quite rare (only 10% of cases) and is diagnosed in children and young adults. It originates from bad heredity or after suffering viral infection if it led to hormonal failure in the body. In such a situation, the human immune system attacks its own pancreatic gland and antibodies begin to destroy it as a stranger. The process is fast, the damaged gland stops working, and insulin is not produced. In such a situation, to maintain life, the body must receive insulin from the outside.

type 2 diabetes

But this is the same diabetes that everyone has heard of and glucometers for which are so often advertised. It is registered after 40-50 years. He has 2 main causative factors - heredity and obesity. Insulin with this type is produced, but the tissues do not absorb it, so it is called insulin resistant. Here the task is not performed by the hormone itself. This pathology develops gradually, gradually, a person may not know for a long time that he has diabetes; the symptoms of the disease are milder.

Regardless of the type, the signs of diabetes are still common:

• increased thirst, constantly want to eat;
• there is severe fatigue, drowsiness during the day;
• dry mouth;
• urination becomes more frequent;
• scratches appear on the skin due to constant itching;
• even small scratches heal badly.

There is one significant difference between the two types: in the first case, the patient is rapidly losing weight, in type 2, he is getting fat.

The insidiousness of diabetes lies in its complications, not in itself.

How long do people with type 2 diabetes live? In type 1 diabetes, mortality compared with healthy people 2.6 times higher, with type 2 - 1.6 times. Life expectancy in type 1 diabetes is a little over 50 years, sometimes reaching 60.

Risk groups for DM

Those who are at risk for severe diabetes are:

• alcoholics;
• smokers;
• children under 12;
• teenagers;
• elderly patients with atherosclerosis.

Type 1 diabetes is recorded in children and adolescents. How long their life expectancy will be depends entirely on the control of their parents and the literacy of the doctor, because children at this age are not able to understand the gravity of the situation, for them there is no concept of death from eating sweets and drinking soda. Such children must receive insulin for life, constantly (and on time).

If we talk about smokers and drinkers, then even with the correct observance of all other recommendations, they can only live up to 40 years, that's how harmful these 2 habits are. With atherosclerosis, strokes and gangrenes occur more often - such patients are doomed. Surgeons can only extend their lives by a few years.

What happens in the body during the circulation of "sweet blood" through the vessels? Firstly, it is thicker, which means that the load on the heart increases dramatically. Secondly, sugar tears apart the walls of blood vessels, in much the same way as cats tear up upholstered furniture.

Holes form on their walls, which are immediately helpfully filled with cholesterol plaques. That's all - the rest is already on the thumb. Therefore, you need to know that DM primarily affects the vessels, causing their irreversible changes. Hence gangrene, and non-healing of ulcers, and blindness, and uremic coma, and so on - everything that is lethal. After all, the aging process in the body has been developing since the age of 23, it is inevitable for everyone. Diabetes accelerates this process at times, and cell regeneration slows down. These are not horror stories, but a call to action.

Living longer is possible only with strict constant control of blood sugar, diet and physical activity.

A very large and bad role for diabetics is played by stress and panic about “how to live with it”, as well as increased physical activity. They provoke the release of glucose and take away the patient's strength to fight, the release of cortisol hormones goes into the blood, which causes jumps in blood pressure, blood vessels are damaged, which aggravates the situation.

In the life of a diabetic, there should be only positive and calmness, composure in thoughts and actions. So, with type 1, subject to constant monitoring of blood sugar, following all the recommendations, patients will be able to live up to 60-65 years, and a third of them will live more than 70. The danger of type 1 diabetes is that it can develop a diabetic coma, as well as irreversible processes occur in the kidneys and heart. Such patients should have a bracelet on their arm indicating the diagnosis, then it will be easier for the ambulance who arrived at the call of others to provide help you need. To avoid the pathological scenario of hypoglycemia, a person should have a supply of glucose tablets with him. A patient with experience already on an intuitive level can understand that it is time for him to inject insulin, which he would like to have with him.

How long do people live with type 1 diabetes? Insulin-dependent women live 20 years, and men - 12 years less than their healthy peers. These patients are completely dependent on their loved ones, on their strict control.

About the second type

This is the second type of DM, diagnosed 9 times more often than type 1, already after 50 years and older, when, in addition to life experience, there are many chronic diseases. The cause of it can be heredity and a bad lifestyle. There may not be obvious symptoms, but a person suddenly begins to mope the cardiovascular system and jump blood pressure. 2nd place is occupied by renal pathology. When examining such patients, they often have type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Complications of pathology:

• strokes, myocardial infarction;
• nephropathy;
• retinopathy (damage to the retina of the eye with blindness);
• amputation of limbs;
• fatty hepatosis;
• polyneuropathy with loss of sensitivity, resulting in muscle atrophy, convulsions;
• trophic ulcers.

Such patients should constantly have their blood pressure and blood sugar under control. To prolong life, a person must adhere to the prescribed treatment regimen. He should get enough rest and sleep, eat on time and eat right. The regime must be observed everywhere, regardless of the place of stay. Relatives should encourage the patient, not allowing him to sour in despair.

According to statistics, life expectancy with type 2 diabetes can be extended with the right lifestyle. It will decrease only by 5 years compared to non-sick people - this is the forecast. But this is only in the case of the execution of the regime. Moreover, the mortality rate in men is higher, because women usually follow all the instructions more carefully. Interestingly, type 2 diabetes increases the risk of Alzheimer's after age 60.

Carbohydrate metabolism is disturbed in the sense that the cells become insensitive to insulin and it cannot penetrate them.

Utilization of glucose does not occur, and in the blood it begins to grow. And then the pancreas stops producing insulin altogether. There is a need to obtain it from the outside (at the most extreme stage of pathology). How long do people with diabetes live today? This is influenced by lifestyle and age.

The growth and rejuvenation of DM is due to the fact that there is a general aging of the world's population. Another problem is that with today's advanced technologies, people's habits have changed radically: immobile sitting at work, in front of computers, increased physical inactivity, frequent consumption of fast foods, stress, nervous strain, obesity - all these reasons shift indicators towards the young. And one more fact: it is profitable for pharmacists not to invent a drug for the treatment of diabetes, profits are growing. Therefore, drugs are produced that only relieve the symptoms, but do not remove the cause. This means that the salvation of drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves, to a large extent. Don't forget about exercise and diet.

The amount of glucose in the blood determines 3 degrees of severity of diabetes: mild - blood sugar up to 8.2 mmol / l; medium - up to 11; severe - over 11.1 mmol / l.

Disability in type 2 diabetes

Half of patients with type 2 diabetes are doomed to disability. Only patients who carefully monitor their health can avoid this. With moderately severe diabetes, when all vital organs are still working normally, but there is a decrease in overall performance, disability group 3 is given for up to 1 year.

Patients should not work in hazardous industries, on night shifts, with severe temperature regime, have irregular working hours and go on business trips.

In the advanced stages, when people need outside care, a non-working group 1 or 2 is given.

Diet becomes necessary even just for life. The ratio of BJU as a percentage should be: 25-20-55. Preference is given to the right carbohydrates, it is desirable to use vegetable fats. It is necessary to limit the consumption of sweet fruits, exclude foods with sugar, do not forget about vitamins and minerals. More fiber, cereals and greens are recommended.

Chronic complications

Complications develop with long-term experience of the disease with type 2 diabetes. By that time, the vessels were already affected, the nerve endings, too, and the tissue trophism was disturbed. As a result of these processes, internal organs gradually degrade - these are the kidneys, heart, skin, eyes, nerve endings, and the central nervous system. They just stop doing their job. If large vessels are affected, then there is a threat to the brain. When they are damaged, the walls narrow in the lumen, become brittle, like glass, and their elasticity is lost. Diabetic neuropathy develops after 5 years of high blood sugar.

A diabetic foot develops - the limbs lose their sensitivity, become numb, trophic ulcers, gangrene appear on them. The patient's legs will not feel burns, as was the case with actress Natalya Kustinskaya, whose feet ended up all night after falling under a hot battery, but she did not feel it.

In diabetes mellitus 2, nephropathy ranks first in mortality, followed by heart and eye diseases. The first turns into chronic renal failure, an organ transplant may be required, which, in turn, is fraught with new complications during the operation. Furunculosis develops on the skin in places of friction and excessive sweating.

Diabetics often have hypertension that remains high even during nighttime hours of rest, which increases the risk of strokes with cerebral edema and MI. Interestingly, strokes in type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop during the daytime against the background of moderately elevated blood pressure numbers.

Half of diabetics develop early heart attacks with a severe clinic.

But at the same time, a person may not feel pain in the heart due to impaired tissue sensitivity.

Vascular disorders in men lead to impotence, and in women - to frigidity and dryness of the mucous membranes. With a significant length of the disease, signs of mental disorders develop in the form of encephalopathy: a tendency to depression, mood instability, increased nervousness and loudness appear. This is especially noticeable with fluctuations in sugar. Eventually, patients develop dementia. At the same time, the inverse ratio of these indicators is as follows: with low sugar, the state of health is worse, but there is no dementia; at high - the state of health can be good, but mental disturbances develop. Retinopathy is possible, which leads to cataracts and blindness.

Prevention of complications and prolongation of life

The key to health is the observance of the daily routine. The endocrinologist will explain everything - the rest depends on your willpower. Lifestyle with diabetes should change radically. Negative mood and emotions are completely excluded. We must become an optimist and learn to live differently. It is impossible to predict the course of the disease, but it is possible to rely on factors that affect the prolongation of life.

How to live with diabetes? Taking medications should be combined with phytotherapy (teas and herbal infusions). It is necessary to regularly monitor blood and urine for sugar, strict adherence to the daily regimen with good rest and sleep, moderate physical activity. How to live with diabetes? Learn to meditate and relax. There is no need to take over-the-counter medications for diabetes.

This can lead to complications from internal organs because they all have their own side effects. Living with diabetes completely excludes self-medication and self-regulation of doses. Do not oppress yourself with thoughts about the disease, do not forget to enjoy life, family and children. accustom yourself to morning exercises. The concepts of "diabetes" and "lifestyle" are becoming inextricably linked.

Subject to all these points, type 2 diabetes can only claim 5 years of your life, and type 1 diabetes - 15, but all this is individual. The life expectancy of patients with diabetes has increased to 75 and 80 years. There are people who live both 85 and 90 years.

Type 1 diabetes is an incurable chronic disease that is most often diagnosed in patients during childhood and adolescence. This type of diabetes is an autoimmune disease and is characterized by a complete cessation of insulin secretion as a result of the destruction of pancreatic cells.

Since type 1 diabetes begins to develop in a patient at an earlier age than type 2 diabetes, its effect on the patient's life expectancy is more pronounced. In such patients, the disease passes into a more severe stage much earlier and is accompanied by the development of dangerous complications.

But life expectancy in type 1 diabetes largely depends on the patient himself and his responsible attitude to treatment. Therefore, speaking about how long diabetics live, it is necessary first of all to note the factors that can prolong the life of the patient and make it more complete.

Causes of early death in type 1 diabetes

Half a century ago, the mortality rate among patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus in the first years after diagnosis was 35%. Today it has dropped to 10%. This is largely due to the emergence of better and more affordable insulin preparations, as well as the development of other treatments for this disease.

But despite all the advances in medicine, doctors have not been able to reduce to zero the likelihood of early death in type 1 diabetes. Most often, its cause is the patient's negligent attitude to his illness, regular violation of the diet, insulin injection regimen and other medical prescriptions.

Another factor that negatively affects the life expectancy of a patient with type 1 diabetes is the too young age of the patient. In this case, the entire responsibility for its successful treatment lies solely on the shoulders of the parents.

The main causes of early death in patients with type 1 diabetes are:

1. Ketoacidotic coma in diabetic children under 4 years of age;
2. Ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia in children from 4 to 15 years;
3. Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages among adult patients.

Diabetes mellitus in children under 4 years of age can be very severe. At this age, just a few hours are enough for an increase in blood sugar to develop into severe hyperglycemia, and after a ketoacidotic coma.

In this condition, the child has the highest level of acetone in the blood and develops severe dehydration. Even with timely medical care, doctors are not always able to save young children who have fallen into a ketoacidotic coma.

Children school age patients with type 1 diabetes most often die from severe hypoglycemia and ketoacidase. This often happens as a result of the inattention of young patients to their well-being, because of which they may miss the first signs of deterioration.

A child is more likely than adults to skip insulin injections, which can lead to a sharp jump in blood sugar levels. In addition, it is harder for children to stick to a low-carb diet and refuse sweets.

Many young diabetics secretly eat sweets or ice cream from their parents without adjusting their insulin dosage, which can lead to hypoglycemic or ketoacidotic coma.

In adults with type 1 diabetes, the main causes of early death are unhealthy habits, especially heavy consumption. alcoholic beverages. As you know, alcohol is contraindicated for diabetics and its regular intake can significantly worsen the patient's condition.

When drinking alcohol, a diabetic first experiences a rise and then a sharp drop in blood sugar levels, which leads to such a dangerous condition as hypoglycemia. Being in a state of intoxication, the patient cannot react in time to the deterioration of the condition and stop the hypoglycemic attack, which is why he often falls into a coma and dies.

How long do people with type 1 diabetes live?

Sugar level

Today, life expectancy in type 1 diabetes has increased markedly and is at least 30 years from the onset of the disease. Thus, a person suffering from this dangerous chronic disease can live for more than 40 years.

On average, people with type 1 diabetes live 50-60 years. But subject to the most careful control of blood sugar levels and the prevention of complications, it is possible to increase life expectancy up to 70-75 years. At the same time, there are cases when a person diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus has a life expectancy of more than 90 years.

But so long life is not typical for diabetics. Typically, people with this disease live less than the average life expectancy in the population. At the same time, according to statistics, women live 12 years less than their healthy counterparts, and men - 20 years less.

Type 1 diabetes is characterized by a rapid onset with severe symptoms, which distinguishes it from type 2 diabetes. Therefore, people suffering from juvenile diabetes have a shorter life expectancy than patients with type 2 diabetes.

In addition, type 2 diabetes usually affects adults and the elderly, while type 1 diabetes usually affects children and young people under 30 years of age. For this reason, juvenile diabetes leads to the death of the patient at a much earlier age than insulin-dependent diabetes.

Factors that shorten the life of a patient diagnosed with type 1 diabetes:

• Diseases of cardio-vascular system. High blood sugar damages the walls of blood vessels, which leads to the rapid development of atherosclerosis of blood vessels and coronary disease hearts. As a result, many diabetic patients die from a heart attack or stroke.
• Damage to the peripheral vessels of the heart. The defeat of the capillary, and then the venous system becomes the main cause of circulatory disorders in the extremities. This leads to the formation of non-healing trophic ulcers on the legs, and in the future to the loss of a limb.
• Renal failure. Enhanced level glucose and acetone in the urine destroys kidney tissue and causes severe kidney failure. It is this complication of diabetes that becomes the main cause of death among patients over 40 years of age.
• damage to the central and peripheral nervous system. The destruction of nerve fibers leads to loss of sensation in the limbs, deterioration of vision and, most importantly, to disruptions in the heart rhythm. Such a complication can cause sudden cardiac arrest and death of the patient.

These are the most common, but not the only, causes of death among diabetics. - this is a disease that causes a whole complex of pathologies in the patient's body that can eventually lead to the death of the patient. Therefore, this disease must be taken seriously and prevention of complications should be started long before they appear.

How to prolong life with type 1 diabetes

Like any other person, diabetics dream of living as long as possible and leading a full life. But is it possible to change the negative prognosis for this disease and prolong the life of patients with diabetes for a longer period?

Of course, yes, and no matter what type of diabetes was diagnosed in a patient - one or two, life expectancy can be increased with any diagnosis. But for this, the patient should strictly fulfill one condition, namely, always be extremely attentive to his condition.

Otherwise, he can very soon earn severe complications and die within 10 years after the discovery of the disease. There are several simple methods that will help protect a diabetic from early death and extend his life for many years:

1. Constant monitoring of blood sugar levels and regular injections of insulin;
2. Following a strict low-carbohydrate diet consisting of foods with a low glycemic index. Also, patients with diabetes should avoid fatty foods and foods, as being overweight aggravates the course of the disease;
3. Regular physical activity, which contributes to the burning of excess sugar in the blood and maintaining the normal weight of the patient;
4. The exclusion of any stressful situations from the patient's life, since strong emotional experiences provoke an increase in the level of glucose in the body;
5. Careful body care, especially for the feet. This will help avoid the formation of trophic ulcers (more about);
6. Regular preventive examinations by a doctor, which will allow timely detection of deterioration in the patient's condition and, if necessary, adjust the treatment regimen.

Life expectancy in type 1 diabetes mellitus largely depends on the patient himself and his responsible attitude to his condition. With timely detection of the disease and proper treatment, you can live with diabetes until old age. The video in this article will tell you whether it is possible to die from diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is currently an incurable disease, the number of cases of which is up to 10% of the total number of diabetic patients. The development of the disease occurs due to dysfunction of the pancreas, resulting in insufficient secretion of insulin and an increase in blood sugar levels. Diabetes usually develops at an early age.

Prognosis and consequences of type 1 diabetes

The prognosis for the life expectancy of a patient with type 1 diabetes is below average. Up to 45-50% of patients die 37-42 years after the onset of the disease from chronic renal failure. After 23-27 years, patients develop atherosclerotic complications, which leads to death from stroke, gangrene, after amputation, ischemic leg injury, or coronary heart disease. Neuropathy, arterial hypertension, etc. are independent risk factors for premature death.

To prevent and slow down the progression of the disease, to improve the course of existing complications, tight control over sugar levels is necessary. When this condition is met, the initial remission occurs in every fourth patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus. During the period of initial remission, which lasts according to forecasts from 3 months to six months (in rare cases up to 1 year), the general condition stabilizes and the need for insulin decreases markedly.

It has been proven that diabetes progresses gradually, subject to a rational working and living regime. Therefore, it is vital for patients with diabetes to avoid physical overload and emotional stress, which contribute to the acceleration of the development of the disease. It is very important to continuously maintain the target values ​​for the compensation of type 1 diabetes mellitus, due to which acute complications of the disease develop much later. To minimize the risk of complications in type 1 diabetes, daily glycemic self-monitoring, maintenance of blood hemoglobin levels and timely changes in insulin dosage are also required. All of the above greatly affects the life expectancy of patients.

The prognosis for the life expectancy of a patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus depends on a number of factors, including the timely detection of the disease, its severity, correct diagnosis and treatment, and the age of the patient. Unfortunately, every second person with diabetes does not live to middle age. Although, if you maintain a normal level of glucose in the blood and, if possible, block the development of diabetes-related complications, the quality and life expectancy increases.