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Diabetes and ageing in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS)
Allison M Hodge1, Leon Flicker, Kerin O'Dea
1Cancer Epidemiology Centre, Cancer Council Victoria, Australia. allison.hodge@cancervic.org.au
Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
|April 16, 2013
Summary
Diabetes significantly impacts successful aging. Individuals with diabetes at baseline were less likely to experience successful aging 12 years later, independent of other risk factors.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Endocrinology
- Public Health
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus is a growing global health concern.
- Aging is associated with increased risk of chronic diseases.
- Successful aging is defined by the absence of major age-related conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term association between diabetes and successful aging.
- To determine if diabetes at baseline predicts successful aging 12 years later.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study analyzing data from 5704 participants aged 70 years at follow-up.
- Diabetes identified by self-report or elevated plasma glucose levels.
- Successful aging defined by absence of ischemic heart disease, stroke, cancer, major physical limitations, and psychological distress.
Main Results:
- Baseline diabetes was inversely associated with successful aging (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.42-0.99), independent of lifestyle factors.
- Only 12.5% of individuals with diabetes at follow-up met criteria for successful aging, compared to 22.7% without diabetes.
Conclusions:
- Diabetes is strongly linked to factors associated with less successful aging.
- The detrimental impact of diabetes on aging may be underestimated.
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