Abstract
The objectives of this study were to estimate life expectancy (LE) and health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) for Canadians with and without diabetes and to evaluate the impact of diabetes on population health using administrative and survey data.Mortality data from the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (2004 to 2006) and Health Utilities Index data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (2000 to 2005) were used. Life table analysis was applied to calculate LE, HALE, and their confidence intervals using the Chiang and the adapted Sullivan methods.LE and HALE were significantly lower among people with diabetes than for people without the disease. LE and HALE for females without diabetes were 85.0 and 73.3 years, respectively (males: 80.2 and 70.9 years). Diabetes was associated with a loss of LE and HALE of 6.0 years and 5.8 years, respectively, for females, and 5.0 years and 5.3 years, respectively, for males, living with diabetes at 55 years of age. The overall gains in LE and HALE after the hypothetical elimination of prevalent diagnosed diabetes cases in the population were 1.4 years and 1.2 years, respectively, for females, and 1.3 years for both LE and HALE for males.The results of the study confirm that diabetes is an important disease burden in Canada impacting the female and male populations differently. The methods can be used to calculate LE and HALE for other chronic conditions, providing useful information for public health researchers and policymakers.
Highlights
In 2006, approximately 2 million Canadians aged 1 year and older (6.2% of the total population) had diagnosed diabetes [1]
The Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) scores reported by males were in general higher than those reported by females across all age groups in the population without diabetes, reflecting the differences in morbidity between males and females [26,27]
In this study, life expectancy (LE) and health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) were estimated for Canadians with and without diabetes by sex and 19 five-year age intervals using a period life table method
Summary
In 2006, approximately 2 million Canadians aged 1 year and older (6.2% of the total population) had diagnosed diabetes (type 1 and type 2) [1]. The number of Canadians with diagnosed diabetes increased by about 651,000 for the period of 2001 to 2006 and is projected to reach almost 2.8 million in 2012. Diabetes increases the risk of developing other life-threatening diseases such as heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure. This leads to poor health, premature mortality, and to a reduction of life expectancy (LE) and health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE). While LE is the average number of years a person is expected to live, HALE is life expectancy weighted or adjusted for the level of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A comparison of disparities in LE and HALE for populations of people with and without diabetes, an assessment of the loss and gain in LE and HALE, and the proportion of life lived in poor health among different cohorts can provide a comprehensive picture of the current impact of diabetes
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