Questions on Diabetes?

What is the life expectancy of a person living with diabetes, type 1 and 2? And does living with diabetes increase the chance of heart attack?

If a diabetic (does not matter which type) takes care of themself, controls their disease, they can live well into their 80's. I used to work at a retirement home and it was chocked full of diabetics in their 80's and even a few that were 90. Control is the key. Yes, diabetes does increase your chance of heart attack and stroke, and a lot of other things. But like I said, control is the key.

Type 2 diabetes is NOT caused due to carelessness with ones body. It is caused by the pancreas not functioning well, just as in type 1. Some people need some education on type 2.

It's estimated that life expectancy for the "average" diabetic is 10-15 years less than what it would be without it. But it's hard to guage, because many diabetics eat more healthily than they would have without the disease, so that might offset some of that. And some diabetics die quite young, in their 30's or 40's, and some live into their 80's. A lot of that is genetic luck of the draw, because an 80-year-old these days didn't benefit from the technology that we enjoy now, so how do you explain that despite poor A1C's, they are living that long? Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading complications of diabetes, because high blood glucose damages the blood vessels little by little over time. But some do just fine. It stands to reason that if you can keep your BG's as normal as possible, and correct them when they are not in range, you have a great chance at living a full life.

Jacob M !
People with diabetes, especially those with type 2 diabetes, are two to 铿?ve times more likely to have problems with circulation to the heart, the legs, and the head when compared to individuals without diabetes. This is because diabetes predis颅poses a person to a condition called atherosclerosis. If you imagine a blood vessel as a water or drainage pipe, then atherosclerosis is buildup in the pipe narrowing the channel and impairing the 铿俹w. In the case of the blood vessel the buildup, called plaque, consists of a core of in铿俛mmatory cells, cholesterol, and lipids with a 铿乥rous cap of smooth muscle cells. The plaque can narrow the blood vessel, impairing blood 铿俹w. Occasionally the 铿乥rous cap can rupture, and when this happens a blood clot forms, causing an acute blockage of the blood ves颅sel. If the acute blockage happens in one of the blood vessels to the heart, it results in a heart attack.

An average life is expected depending upon the geographic location and average age of that area if diabetes is well controlled.

Diabetes itself is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Also, many people with diabetes have other conditions that increase their chance of developing heart disease and stroke. These conditions are called risk factors. One risk factor for heart disease and stroke is having a family history of heart disease. If one or more members of your family had a heart attack at an early age (before age 55 for men or 65 for women), you may be at increased risk.
You can鈥檛 change whether heart disease runs in your family, but you can take steps to control the other risk factors for heart disease listed here:

Having central obesity. Central obesity means carrying extra weight around the waist, as opposed to the hips. A waist measurement of more than 40 inches for men and more than 35 inches for women means you have central obesity. Your risk of heart disease is higher because abdominal fat can increase the production of LDL (bad) cholesterol, the type of blood fat that can be deposited on the inside of blood vessel walls.
Having abnormal blood fat (cholesterol) levels.
鈥?LDL cholesterol can build up inside your blood vessels, leading to narrowing and hardening of your arteries鈥攖he blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Arteries can then become blocked. Therefore, high levels of LDL cholesterol raise your risk of getting heart disease.

鈥?Triglycerides are another type of blood fat that can raise your risk of heart disease when the levels are high.

鈥?HDL (good) cholesterol removes deposits from inside your blood vessels and takes them to the liver for removal. Low levels of HDL cholesterol increase your risk for heart disease.
Having high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, also called hypertension, your heart must work harder to pump blood. High blood pressure can strain the heart, damage blood vessels, and increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, eye problems, and kidney problems.
Smoking. Smoking doubles your risk of getting heart disease. Stopping smoking is especially important for people with diabetes because both smoking and diabetes narrow blood vessels. Smoking also increases the risk of other long-term complications, such as eye problems. In addition, smoking can damage the blood vessels in your legs and increase the risk of amputation.

The life expectancy of a person with well-controlled diabetes can be the same as any other non-diabetic person! Diabetes does increase the liklihood of a heart-attack, but mainly in people who can't or don't properly control their blood sugar. High sugars can cause damage to the blood vessels and arteries by contributing to the build-up of plaque in the arteries, restricting blood flow or causing bloot clots, that can travel to the heat, causing congestive heart failure and heart attacks. Hope this helps!

type 1, absolute insulin dependent cause damage cell beta pancreas and type 2 with resistance insulin and low secret insulin. finally.....there are accumulation blood glucose in blood cause problems above, high viscosity blood in vascular.....that's why very high risk heart diasease and stroke complication.....gangrene in perifer vascular

Well I don't know what Old Snake is telling ... but carelessness is in no way apart of getting diabetes! My Mother was NEVER careless! and she got T2 at the age of about 50 and died at 57, I got T1 at the age of 8-9, Im now blind, on dialysis and have heart problems. I have a life expectancy of one year (well the doctor told me 2 years ago 3 years tops) I don't belive him tho... I feel find and I work damn hard at staying alive.... so there!
A T1 person would have lived longer WITH the diease than a T2 but the damage done (I personally think) is worst for a T2 Also a T1 will have started treatment as soon as the diease is known to the doctor. were as with a T2 the doctors will sometimes "wait and see" or try a diet or something. I think the waiting is the big killer.
I am 49_
And YES almost every diabetic you may meet will tell you they have some type of heart problem. It goes with the show, blindness. end stage renal failure, heart failure. amputation of fingers, arms or legs etc etc etc

I can't say what the life expectancy is but I know with type 1 or 2 you should take care of yourself and if you have to take medicine take it right and eat right and exercise.I think diabetes does increase your chance of heart attack but you can make that chance less with taking care of yourself.I wish you the best.Deb.Bonanno.

Ok I am diabetic and my father was too. I am fifteen and they said if I get healthy and eat right and all that good stuff I can live to be around sixty. My father had a poor diet but other than that was overall healthy and died at 35.

Our body produces an hormone known as insulin from the pancreas,this chemical reduces the glucose/sugar level and converts it into glycogen and stores it in liver cells.Therefore when our body fails to produce this hormone the glucose level gradually exceeds normal level as a result blockages of the arteries of the heart might take place as excess glucose will be converted into fat.Thus it might cause heart attack if not kept within limitation.A diabetic person can live exactly as long as a normal person if he/she abides by the rules and regulations and it doesnt matter whether it's type 1 or 2(one of them is genetically inherited whereas the other one occurs due to carelessness for oneself)