LONDON, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Type 2 diabetes could be linked to lower life expectancy, but healthy lifestyle choices can have a positive impact on management of the disease, according to a study released on Monday by the University of Edinburgh.
The chronic condition will render the body unable to control sugars in the blood, and is linked to obesity and is more likely to be diagnosed in older people.
A team led by researchers from the University of Edinburgh compared anonymized health records of more than 250,000 people with Type 2 diabetes with 2.8 million people without the condition in Scotland.
Life expectancy data were generated in five-year age bands for men and women aged 40 to 89 years across 2012 to 2014.
The results showed that life expectancy was lower in the Type 2 diabetes group compared with the non-Type 2 diabetic group across almost every age band and at all levels of socioeconomic status.
The only exception was men aged over 80 years old in the most deprived category.
The study suggests that to improve life-expectancy, "we should encourage prevention and management for Type 2 diabetes across all of society," said Professor Sarah Wild at the University of Edinburgh.
For the next step, the team plans to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status and factors that could be affecting lifespan, such as heart disease.
