Diabetes Can Shorten Your Life

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States it affects about 26 million Americans each year. We have known for quite some time that a person with diabetes has an increased risk of heart disease: things like heart attack and stroke. But now according to new report New England Journal of Medicine there are some more disturbing statistics. Overall, people with diabetes die younger than people who do not have diabetes. This particular report looked at 820,000 people by reviewing 97 existing studies. And what they found is that diabetes can shorten average person's life by six years. To put that in perspective a person who smokes cigarettes can shorten their life by seven years. Obviously this raises concern. But it doesn't take one major fact into account. People who control their blood sugar with close measurement and medication do much better than those who do not monitor and treat their blood sugar on a regular basis. So if you're a diabetic don't be discouraged but make sure you follow up closely with your doctor and take care of the condition every day.