Late last year, research^1,2,3 showed life expectancy has declined in the U.S. for the first time in two decades, leaving researchers searching for clues as to the cause.

While drug overdoses appear to have contributed to the decline, obesity also plays a major role. Now, a follow-up study⁴ suggests type 2 diabetes is a major factor. As reported by Vox:⁵

“[R]esearchers have long known that diabetes is an underreported cause of death on death certificates, the primary data source for determining life expectancy trends.

That’s because people with diabetes often have multiple health conditions, or “comorbidities,” such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and even cancer …

[According to] Andrew Stokes, assistant professor of global health at Boston University’s School of Public Health … ‘[T]o some extent, deaths that should be attributed to diabetes go to other causes.'”

Indeed, the links between diabetes and other lethal conditions such as heart disease and cancer are exceedingly compelling.

The good news is that once you understand how insulin and leptin resistance fuels ALL of these conditions, the remedy becomes clear. Best of all, preventing and treating the underlying cause of diabetes is fairly simple and straightforward, and does not cost much. To learn how, read on to the end.

Diabetes Is Likely the Third Leading Cause of Death

To evaluate the potential influence of diabetes on death rates, the researchers calculated the risk of death among diabetics during five years of follow up.

Shockingly, while death certificates suggest diabetes is involved in about 3.5 percent of deaths, the real number is likely around 12 percent, and among the obese, it may be as high as 19 percent. As noted by Vox:

“That means that while diabetes is generally listed as the seventh most common cause of death in America … their results suggest it’s probably the third leading cause of death after cancer and heart disease.”

This is a tragedy when you consider that type 2 diabetes is entirely preventable and treatable with a low-net-carb diet and other healthy lifestyle changes,⁶ such as avoiding sitting and getting healthy sun exposure. Most of these strategies are inexpensive or free.

Meanwhile, the cost of conventional diabetes treatment keeps going up. In fact, diabetes is now one of the most expensive diseases in the U.S.⁷ Of 155 chronic conditions, diabetes topped the list at $101.4 billion in personal health care spending in 2013.⁸

In the last 20 years, the cost of insulin has shot up by 450 percent. A single months’ supply of insulin can now cost nearly $255, compared to less than $21 in 1996. The sad reality is that insulin has no place in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and actually accelerates death as my now 11-year-old article shows.

To that, you have to add the cost for other medications, syringes, pumps and blood sugar sensors and monitors, plus health care costs associated with comorbidities. It’s not surprising then that diabetics spend an average of 230 percent more on medical expenditures than non-diabetics.