Years of Life Lost Due to Obesity Related Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

At a Glance

A new study provides a quantitative analysis of the impact of obesity on shortened life spans and on years of healthy life lost to obesity. Men who are 20-39 years of age with a BMI greater than 35 are likely to lose 8.4 years of life and 18.8 years of health based on these statistical models.

Read more about this research below.

It is well established that excess bodyweight is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. To go along with all the research studying and detailing this association, a study published in The Lancet: Diabetes & Endocrinology developed a meaningful metric to determine the effect these diseases have on quality of life and length of life.
 

A disease-simulation model was developed to estimate the annual risk of type 2 diabetes diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality for individuals based on their BMI classification. The data was compiled from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which included 3992 individuals over a period of seven years (2003-2010)

As seen in previous studies, this study also showed that excess bodyweight was positively associated with increased risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Years of life lost as a result of these conditions ranged from 0.8 to 5.9 years in obese (BMI = 30 to <35) men and 0.9 to 8.4 years in very obese (BMI ≥ 35) men, increasing with age. Years of life lost ranged from 1.6 to 5.6 years in obese (BMI = 30 to <35) women and 0.9 to 6.1 years in very obese (BMI ≥ 35) women, increasing with age. Losses were smaller, but generally similar for overweight (BMI = 25 to <30) men and women. Healthy life-years (years free from premature disease) also decreased as a result excess bodyweight, with totals ranging from two to four times higher than the total years of life lost.

While these results already reveal a lot about the potential impact of obesity on life expectancy and quality of life, they are actually conservative estimates. As they only take into account the risk factors associated with obesity on type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In the future, additional considerations must also be made for cancer, respiratory disease, hepatic disease, renal disease, and other diseases impacted by excess bodyweight.

Grover S, et al. Years of life lost and healthy life-years lost from diabetes and cardiovascular disease in overweight and obese people: a modeling study. The Lancet: Diabetes & Endocrinology (2014). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(14)70229-3.

Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Exploding

"If current trends continue, 1 in 3 Americans will develop diabetes in their lifetime, and those with diabetes will lose, on average, 10-15 years of life." Center for Disease Prevention

Without widespread intervention, one in three American adults could have type 2 diabetes by the year 2050.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic health condition that develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin, a hormone that regulates carbohydrate and fat metabolism. The exact mechanism by which type 2 diabetes occurs is unknown, but a number of correlating risk factors-- particularly obesity and physical inactivity-- are well-established.
The number of individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has increased sharply in recent years, with an estimated $174 billion cost to the United States in 2007 alone.
A number of papers have attempted to project type 2 diabetes prevalence 5, 10, and 20+ years into the future. Most of these projections have relied on weak or outdated metrics, however, including old census data, static mortality rates, and overly simple estimations of diabetes incidence.
A recent paper from researchers at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion hoped to overcome these weaknesses by utilizing recent census data and a matrix of factors derived from an extensive literature review.
The researchers describe their results as "a sobering picture of the future growth of diabetes." Their most optimistic values point to 21% of the U.S. adult population having type 2 diabetes in the year 2050. A middle-ground scenario predicts a prevalence of 25%-28%, while high-end data points to a diabetes prevalence of 33%, or 1 in 3 adults. To put these numbers in perspective, approximately 7% of the U.S. adult population had type 2 diabetes in 2007.
In 1990, prevalence was below 5%.
Unlike some chronic diseases, type 2 diabetes risk can be reduced by relatively moderate lifestyle changes. Losing weight (if overweight or obese),improving dietary choices, and regular exercise are all known to reduce the risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes.
The authors of this paper noted that such changes "can help to decrease loss in quality of life and the future cost of providing care for people with diabetes. Indeed, such efforts are essential if we hope to moderate or slow the growth of diabetes prevalence."
Boyle JP, Thompson TJ, Gregg EW, Barker LE, Williamson DF, Projection of the year 2050 burden of diabetes in the US adult population: dynamic modeling of incidence, mortality, and prediabetes prevalence. 2010. Population Health Metrics 8:29.