the journal Circulation.
“Our study shows the differences in excess diabetes risk are tied to how old the person is when they are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes,” Sattar said in a journal news release.
Far less effort and resources could be spent screening people 80 and older for type 2 diabetes unless symptoms are present, he added.
“Furthermore, our work could also be used to encourage middle-aged people at elevated diabetes risk to adopt lifestyle changes to delay their diabetes by several years,” Sattar said.
The researchers noted that the study followed a mostly white European population, so further studies are needed to assess the role of heart disease in non-white populations with type 2 diabetes.
More information
The American Heart Association has more on diabetes and heart disease.
