title: An assessment of the impact of type 2 diabetes on the quality of life based on age at diabetes diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to determine whether Korean adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes before the age of 40 have a different perception of the impact of diabetes on their quality of life (QoL) compared with that of patients diagnosed at an older age.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 236 patients were investigated in this cross-sectional study. The patients were classified into two groups based on their age at diagnosis: early type 2 diabetes (age at diagnosis <40 years) and typical type 2 diabetes (age at diagnosis ≥40 years). The QoL was assessed using the latest version of the audit of diabetes-dependent quality of life (ADDQoL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average weighted impact (AWI) of diabetes on QoL was significantly lower in adults with early type 2 diabetes than those diagnosed later. Patients with early type 2 diabetes reported a greater negative impact of diabetes on specific life domains "close personal relationship," "sex life," "self-confidence," "motivation to achieve things," "feelings about the future," "freedom to eat," and "freedom to drink" than patients with typical type 2 diabetes. In multivariate analysis adjusted for demographic and medical variables, a diagnosis of diabetes before the age of 40 was significantly associated with a lower ADDQoL AWI score [OR 3.60 (95 % CI: 1.12-11.55), P < 0.05].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Younger age at type 2 diabetes diagnosis is significantly associated with a poor diabetes-related QoL.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, 8 Hak-Dong, Dong-Gu, Gwangju, 501-757, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Ook
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Dong Hyeok
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Dong Jin
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Min Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires