April 18, 2025, 9:49 am | Read time: 5 minutes
The metabolic disease diabetes is known to be serious: Without targeted treatment, severe complications can arise, potentially costing patients their lives. This was the case for the recently deceased actress Michelle Trachtenberg, as the latest lab results indicate. FITBOOK explains how deadly diabetes can be.
Diabetes can lead to various secondary diseases, including several types of cancer, according to recent findings.1 A persistently high blood sugar level caused by the metabolic disorder can damage blood vessels, organs, and nerves. This can lead to hardened arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Additionally, nerve damage, especially in the feet, can occur, potentially resulting in the so-called diabetic foot syndrome. These are just some of the possible and sometimes life-threatening consequences of diabetes, which FITBOOK explores in more detail in this article. Complications from the primary disease itself can also be potentially deadly.
Overview
How Often Diabetes Is Deadly
A recent case that shockingly highlights the lethality of diabetes is that of actress Michelle Trachtenberg. She was found dead in her apartment at the end of February 2025. Months later, New York medical examiners confirmed, according to a report by the U.S. website “TMZ,” that she succumbed to complications from her diabetes mellitus. Whether the “Buffy” star suffered from Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes is not revealed in the publication.
Diabetes Deaths in Germany
According to the official cause of death statistics from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), referenced by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on its website, 26,891 people in Germany died from the consequences of diabetes mellitus in 2022.2 Mortality increased significantly with age. Among those aged 45 to 64, it was relatively low, but for those aged 80, it was over 300 per 100,000 people. The type of diabetes is not specified here either.
Study Focused on Type 2 Diabetes
A study examined how many deaths in Germany in 2010 were attributable to diagnosed diabetes, particularly Type 2 diabetes.3 The aim was to precisely determine mortality directly or indirectly caused by diabetes. Researchers used billing data from about 65 million people with statutory health insurance in Germany from 2010. Using figures from the Danish National Diabetes Register—since specific mortality data for people with diabetes in Germany was unavailable—the team calculated the so-called excess mortality. This refers to deaths exceeding the statistically expected mortality, attributed to diabetes in this case.
The study’s authors estimated that in 2010, approximately 174,627 deaths in Germany were attributable to diabetes, with about 137,950 due to Type 2 diabetes. This would mean around 21 percent of all deaths in the country were caused by the metabolic disease, with 16 percent specifically from Type 2. Older people were particularly affected: about two-thirds of the recorded deaths were in the 70 to 89 age group.
Significance
The results suggest that diabetes mortality in Germany is likely significantly underestimated. However, direct data on the mortality of diabetics is lacking in Germany. Diabetes is often not listed as the primary cause on death certificates, but rather secondary diseases like cardiovascular diseases or kidney failure. One should also note that applying Danish mortality rates to the German population may have led to inaccuracies.
It can be said that Type 2 diabetes leads to more deaths overall due to its higher prevalence. It is a widespread disease, in Germany and beyond. Experts even predict that by 2050, more than 1.3 billion people worldwide will be affected.4 This is tragic, considering that this development could actually be preventable. The main causes of Type 2 diabetes, which is promoted by lifestyle factors, are lack of exercise combined with overweight and a sugar-rich diet. This form of diabetes becomes chronically threatening over time, especially due to late effects. The situation is somewhat different with the equally deadly Type 1 diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes Often More Acutely Deadly
The deadly potential of Type 1 diabetes—an autoimmune disease characterized by an absolute insulin deficiency—is well known. It is considered acutely life-threatening, especially in young people. One of the most common causes of death before the age of 35 is permanent kidney failure in the context of end-stage renal disease (ESRD).5
A study from 2009 is also noteworthy in this context.6 It examined mortality rates and causes of death among 4,246 women and men who developed Type 1 diabetes before the age of 30 between 1978 and 2004. After evaluating death certificates and autopsy reports, the authors found that young people with this disease have a significantly increased risk of death—particularly due to acute complications of diabetes. Forty-four percent of the deaths were specifically attributed to complications of the disease. A major factor was diabetic ketoacidosis—a metabolic imbalance that can lead to diabetic coma and eventually death.7 Many of the subjects also died from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), where the blood sugar level was not stabilized in time.8
“Dead-in-Bed” Syndrome
Specifically related to young Type 1 diabetics is the so-called “Dead-in-Bed” syndrome (DIB syndrome). This involves sudden and seemingly inexplicable deaths among young adults or adolescents with the diagnosis. These deaths are attributed to the aforementioned blood sugar fluctuations. The blood sugar level of those affected drops sharply at night (hypoglycemia) or rises suddenly (ketoacidosis). In their sleep, they miss the opportunity to react. A study from 2015 shows that the DIB syndrome can occur independently of previously observed complications.9 The affected individuals often show no signs of impending hypoglycemia.
How Deadly Diabetes Can Be
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Death from Diabetes Is Mostly Preventable
The numbers illustrate the challenges in dealing with diabetes. The disease can be life-threatening—whether acutely, as with Type 1, or as a long-term consequence with Type 2. To avoid complications, rapid initiation of therapy and consistent treatment are crucial. Even unexpected situations like the DIB syndrome could be avoided with appropriate precautions. “Adjusting the insulin dose to changes in diet and physical activity helps prevent sudden blood sugar fluctuations,” warn the study’s authors.
A heightened awareness of the dangers of diabetes is—especially in view of the expected increase in cases—of utmost importance to protect the life expectancy of countless people worldwide.