25 Nov 2024 • A recent study underscores a critical finding—patients with more severe diabetic complications are at a significantly higher risk of developing cancer.

This was particularly evident in younger individuals with early-onset diabetes.

In a cohort of over 600,000 newly diagnosed diabetic patients followed for an average of 9 years, those in the highest quartiles of the adapted diabetic complication severity index (aDCSI) showed a cancer incidence rate of 815.2 vs 482.0 for men, and 611.1 vs 358.9 for women, per 100,000 person-years.

The study highlighted that younger patients (aged 40–44) with severe complications had a 1.7- to 1.9-fold increased risk of cancer. However, for those diagnosed later in life (aged 60–64), this association was attenuated, suggesting that age at diagnosis plays a role in cancer risk.

The findings stress the need for more targeted monitoring and intervention in younger patients with diabetes, especially those with severe complications, to mitigate their increased cancer risk.

Source: Journal of Diabetes Investigation | Read full story