From the Guidelines
The average lifespan of a person with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in Malaysia is not explicitly stated in the provided evidence, but based on the overall consensus, people with diabetes have a shortened lifespan.
Factors Affecting Lifespan
- The lifespan of individuals with diabetes can vary greatly depending on factors such as comorbidity, cognitive or physical functioning, or frailty 1.
- Life expectancies are highly variable but are often longer than clinicians realize, and multiple prognostic tools for life expectancy for older adults are available 1.
Considerations for Older Adults with Diabetes
- Individualized treatment goals should be set for older adults with diabetes, taking into account their clinical, cognitive, and functional heterogeneity and varied prior experience with disease management 1.
- Glycemic goals should be individualized, with less stringent goals for those with shorter life expectancy or advanced diabetes complications 1.
- Screening for diabetes complications should be individualized in older adults with diabetes, with particular attention to complications that would lead to impairment of functional status or quality of life 1.
General Considerations
- Diabetes mellitus is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, accounting for more than 4 million deaths in 2019, representing 11.3% of the global mortality rate 1.
- People with diabetes have a shortened lifespan that is directly attributable to the development of future complications 1.
From the Research
Average Lifespan of a Person with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in Malaysia
There are no research papers provided that directly address the average lifespan of a person with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in Malaysia. However, some studies provide information on the life expectancy of people with diabetes in other countries.
Life Expectancy in Other Countries
- A study from Japan 2 estimated the life expectancy at 40 years to be 39.2 years for men and 43.6 years for women with diabetes.
- A study from England 3 found that at age 40, white men with diabetes lost 5 years of life and white women lost 6 years compared to those without diabetes.
- A global study 4 found that the age-standardized incidence rate of type 2 diabetes increased from 1990 to 2019, with the highest rate observed in high-SDI regions.
Factors Affecting Life Expectancy
- Frailty was found to increase the risk of adverse clinical outcomes in people with diabetes, regardless of the age of onset 5.
- Comorbidity was found to have a significant impact on the quality of life of people with diabetes, with higher glucosylated HbA1c values associated with lower quality of life 6.
Regional Variations
- The global study 4 found that Central Asia, South Asia, and Southern Sub-Saharan Africa had the greatest burden of type 2 diabetes.
- The study from England 3 found that South Asians with diabetes had lower adjusted risks for mortality from cardiovascular, cancer, and respiratory diseases compared to whites with diabetes.