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The following is a summary of “Age at type 2 diabetes diagnosis and the risk of mortality among US population,” published in the November 2024 issue of Endocrinology by Zhang et al.  

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is linked to increased mortality risk, particularly when diagnosed at a younger age, emphasizing the need for timely prevention and care.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to explore how the age of diagnosis for T2DM affects cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality.  

They analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (1999–2018) with 8,654 participants who had a T2DM diagnosis. Using weighted multivariate Cox regression analyses, associations between age at diagnosis and mortality risk were estimated. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate robustness. Participants were categorized by age at diagnosis: <40 years (n = 1,492), 40–59 years (n = 3,970), and ≥60 years (n = 3,192), with median ages of 44.04, 57.59, and 72.24, respectively.  

The results showed that the relative risk of all-cause mortality increased with earlier T2DM diagnosis, compared to those diagnosed at ≥60 years, the HR was 2.72 (95% CI 1.83–4.05) for participants diagnosed at <40 years. Younger diagnosis also increases CVD mortality risk. Subgroup analyses indicated stronger associations in individuals who were current smokers or had hypertension.  

They concluded that earlier T2DM diagnosis was linked to significantly higher CVD and all-cause mortality risks, highlighting the need for early preventive efforts.  

Source: nature.com/articles/s41598-024-80790-8