Okay, you’re a type 1 diabetic. You’re probably already aware that your life expectancy is shorter than the average person. But did you know that people suffering from the disease are living longer than they ever have before?
There is hope that new medical advances including smarter pumps and new medication will help to add more years onto the life of type 1 diabetics.
An Australian study of Type 1 diabetics conducted between 1997 and 2010 noted in Diabetes in Control that by the studies end that men with type 1 were living 1.9 years longer and women were up 1.5 years. Researchers attribute the increase in life expectancy to medical advances and a better understanding of the disease. The fact that children with the disease are being diagnosed earlier and begin therapy to control their blood sugar levels combined with advances in diabetes technology such as insulin pumps blood sugar monitors is all contributing to extending the longevity of diabetics.
Although the life expectancy of type 1 diabetics is still 12 years shorter than average, there is hope that new medical advances including smarter pumps and new medication will help to add more years onto the life of type 1 diabetics.
