People under 40 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are FOUR times more likely to die than the rest of the general UK population

A study shows that people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes before the age of 40 have a mortality rate four times higher than that of the general UK population.

Those with early-onset disease also had a greater risk of complications such as blindness, limb amputation and kidney failure.

Researchers from the University of Oxford say their findings highlight the need to improve care for these patients and develop new drugs that can reduce harm.

They examined data from 4,550 newly diagnosed diabetes patients aged 25 to 65 years over a period of up to 30 years.

Analysis found that adults with later-onset type 2 diabetes have a one and a half times higher risk of death compared to the general population.

But this rises to four times higher among those diagnosed at a younger age, when the disease is typically more aggressive and has longer time to cause damage.

People diagnosed before age 40 also had a higher rate of diabetes-related complications, especially microvascular disease such as eye damage and kidney failure.

And lower age at diagnosis was also associated with persistently poorer blood sugar control.

Professor Amanda Adler, co-author of the study, said: ‘Over the past thirty years, the number of young adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes worldwide has increased significantly.

‘Evidence to date suggests that type 2 diabetes at a younger age, characterized by earlier and longer exposure to high blood glucose levels, may be more aggressive than the disease that develops later.’

This can mean a more rapid deterioration of beta cell function (the cells in the pancreas that produce and release insulin) and a greater risk of complications such as heart and kidney disease.

‘Lead author Dr Beryl Lin said: ‘Our data support the need to proactively identify young adults with type 2 diabetes and provide high-quality care throughout their lives.

‘We urgently need clinical trials targeting young people to develop tailored treatments that prevent or delay complications such as kidney and heart disease, and, crucially, reduce the risk of premature death.’

Diabetes UK estimates that there are more than 5.6 million people living with diabetes in Britain, which is a record high.

About nine in ten of these have type 2 diabetes, which is linked to an unhealthy lifestyle.

The number of children and young adults (under 25) with type 2 diabetes increased by 54 percent in England between 2016/17 and 2022/23.

The NHS spends at least £10 billion a year on diabetes, which is around 10 percent of its total budget.

Nearly 80 percent of the money the NHS spends on diabetes goes to treating complications.

In some hospitals, more than a quarter of the beds are used by people with diabetes.

In 2022/2023, 66 million items were prescribed for people with diabetes in England, up from 42.5 million a decade earlier.

The findings were published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.

Helen Kirrane, head of policy and campaigns at Diabetes UK, said: ‘Diagnoses of type 2 diabetes in people under the age of 40 are rising to alarming levels in Britain and it is deeply worrying to see more evidence that those who develop the condition developing at a younger age also have a greater chance of dying prematurely.

‘The Government faces a generational opportunity to end this health crisis as it begins to shape its 10-year plan for the NHS.’

We also need bold action to tackle the rise of type 2 diabetes, transform our broken food environment and give every child and young person the best possible chance to grow up in good health.”