Young diabetes patients soar worldwide, and Korea also has 300,000 young patients. Against this backdrop, a new study has found that low income is associated with a nearly threefold increased risk of death among young diabetes patients.

A team of researchers led by Professors Kim Sin-gon and Kim Nam-hoon of the Department of Endocrinology at Korea University Anam Hospital and Professor Kim Ji-yoon of the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Samsung Medical Center found that low income was associated with nearly threefold increased risk of death among young type 2 diabetes patients.

The social and economic circumstances of diabetes patients have been shown to influence the risk of complications and death. However, no studies have examined whether income level also plays a role in younger diabetes patients.

Using data from the National Health Insurance Service from 2008 to 2013, the researchers analyzed nearly 600,000 people with type 2 diabetes between the ages of 20 and 79. They categorized the patients into three income quintiles to determine the relationship with mortality risk.

Among type 2 diabetes patients under 40, those in the bottom third of the income distribution had a 2.88 times higher risk of death than those in the top third. In people with type 2 diabetes 60 and older, the risk of death was found to be 1.26 times higher when the same analysis was performed.

This means that people with type 2 diabetes under 40 have a much greater risk of death based on income than people with type 2 diabetes over 60.

The researchers also found that type 2 diabetes patients in the bottom third of the income distribution had a 2.66 times higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 1.41 times higher risk of cardiovascular events than those in the top third.

“Younger diabetes patients are characterized by difficulty in glycemic control and early development of complications,” Professor Kim Nam-hoon said. “In addition to medical aspects, the socioeconomic environment seems to impact the health of young diabetes patients significantly.”

He added that efforts are needed to address their health complaints from various angles, including expanding support for young diabetes patients at the national and policy levels.

The study, “Income-Related Disparities in Mortality Among Young Adults With Type 2 Diabetes,” was published in the November issue of JAMA Network Open, a journal of the American Medical Association.