A new study led by Professor Sin Gon Kim and Professor Nam Hoon Kim from the Department of Internal Medicine (Endocrinology and Metabolism) at Korea University Anam Hospital, in collaboration with Professor Ji Yoon Kim from Samsung Medical Center, reveals a concerning correlation between income levels and mortality risks among young adults with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). The research highlights that young adults with T2D and low income face a mortality risk nearly three times higher than their high-income counterparts.
Diabetes among young people is on the rise globally, including in South Korea, where more than 300,000 individuals under the age of 40 are currently living with the condition. While the social and economic factors influencing diabetes complications have been acknowledged in previous studies, this particular research is the first to focus on how income specifically affects young diabetic patients.
The study utilized data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database, covering nearly 600,000 T2D patients aged 20 to 79 years between 2008 and 2013. Participants were grouped based on income levels—low, middle, and high—and the relationship between these income categories and mortality risks was analyzed.
The findings revealed a striking difference in mortality risks between income groups, particularly among patients under 40 years old. Those in the low-income bracket exhibited a 2.88 times higher mortality rate compared to high-income patients. In contrast, T2D patients aged 60 and older had a relatively smaller disparity, with a 1.26 times higher mortality risk for those with low income.
Moreover, the study uncovered that low-income T2D patients were at significantly higher risk for cardiovascular-related deaths, with a 2.66 times greater risk compared to their high-income peers. Additionally, they were found to have a 1.41 times greater likelihood of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).
These findings, published in JAMA Network Open in November, underscore the critical need to address income disparities in the treatment and management of Type 2 Diabetes, especially among younger patients.
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