Early Mortality Risks among Young People With Type 2 Diabetes

As St. Hope Foundation’s president and CEO, Rodney Goodie guides a federally qualified health center that provides quality care while addressing persistent urban-rural treatment disparities. Rodney Goodie’s Houston area organization adheres to a Patient-Centered Medical Home model in treating patients with conditions such as hepatitis C and diabetes.

Recent research undertaken by Australian researchers at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute indicates the full extent of risks associated with the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in young people. Characterized as “somewhat aggressive,” type 2 diabetes that occurs early in life carries with it a 30 percent higher risk of mortality, as well as a 60 percent greater chance of heart disease-linked death.

The core reason seems to be simply that living with a blood sugar disease carries a number of potential complications and places a major burden on the body. With type 2 diabetes increasing in prevalence among people at an earlier age, issues include lipotoxicity, overweight, and insulin resistance. A particular issue is resulting inflammation, which is closely linked with premature cardiovascular disease.