You lose about eight years from your expected lifespan if you are diagnosed with diabetes after 50.

In a study that quantifies the exact loss in years, researchers from the University Medical Centre, Rotterdam (Netherlands), and Unilever Corporate Research, Sharnbrook (UK), have found that on average, diabetic men aged 50 or more lived 7.5 years less than their diabetes-free peers. For women, the loss of years was 8.2.

India is home to an estimated 46 million diabetics (the highest in the world, according to WHO). Of them, 60% are above 50 years of age. By 2030, the number is expected to climb to 80 million. The results of the study - called the Framingham Heart Study - were published in the June 11 issue of the 'Archives of Internal Medicine'.

The study's lead author, Dr Oscar H Franco, collected data on over 5,200 US men and women (aged 28-62 years, recruited between 1948 and 1951 and followed for more than 46 years). They were monitored until they developed heart disease or died. The researchers also noted whether they were diabetic.

The results showed that the risk of developing heart disease was double in diabetic women than in non-diabetic women. Compared with non-diabetic women, diabetic women who already had heart disease were also more than twice as likely to die.

The researchers found that compared with non-diabetic men, those with diabetes also had twice the risk of developing heart disease and faced a 1.7 times higher risk of dying after developing heart trouble.