Poor quality of life linked to death from diabetes
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For older adults with diabetes, longevity may depend not only on factors such as blood sugar control, but on quality of life as well, a new study suggests.
In a study of more than 1,100 Dutch adults with type 2 diabetes, researchers found that those who reported physical limitations that impaired their quality of life were more likely to die over the next 6 years.
Quality of life was linked to death risk, independently of a range of well-known factors in diabetic adults’ health—including blood sugar control, weight, blood pressure and kidney function.
It’s not clear why this is, lead researcher Dr. Nanne Kleefstra, of Isala Clinics in Zwolle, told Reuters Health. But the findings suggest that doctors should look beyond standard “clinical parameters” in assessing patients with type 2 diabetes, Kleefstra said.
The study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, included 1,143 older adults who completed a standard survey on health-related quality of life. This included questions on physical well-being, such as how well they were able to perform routine activities like climbing stairs and carrying groceries.
Overall, study participants who scored below the median for physical well-being were twice as likely to die over the next 6 years as those who scored higher.
High quality of life should be a goal of healthcare in general, Kleefstra’s team points out.
However, the researchers add, knowing that it may make a difference in lifespan should give doctors “added incentive” to ask diabetic patients about their quality of life, and address any problems when possible.
SOURCE: Diabetes Care, May 2008.
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