A new study has found that patients in their 50s with diabetes have nearly double the risk for developing ``geriatric`` ailments.
According to experts from the University of Michigan Health System and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, middle-aged adults with diabetes are much more likely to develop age-related conditions than their counterparts who don`t have diabetes.
They found that adults between 51 and 70 with diabetes developed age-related ailments like cognitive impairment, incontinence, falls, dizziness, vision impairment and pain at a faster rate than those without diabetes.
"Our findings suggest that middle age adults with diabetes start to accumulate these age-related problems," said lead author Christine Cigolle.
"Because diabetes affects multiple organ systems, it has the potential to contribute significantly to the development of a number of issues that we associate with aging," she added.
The research was based on nationally representative data from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study.
The study has been published in the March issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
ANI