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CVD, stroke deaths drop sharply for patients with diabetes
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Mortality rates for patients with diabetes decreased substantially from 1997 to 2006, especially deaths related to CVD and stroke, according to researchers at the CDC and NIH.
During the study period, all-cause mortality declined by 23% and mortality related to CVD and strokes declined 40%. The excess CVD mortality rate associated with diabetes decreased by 60%, from 5.8 to 2.3 CVD deaths per 1,000, and the excess all-cause mortality rate declined by 44%, from 10.8 to 6.1 deaths per 1,000.
“The rate of improvement among those with diabetes has exceeded those of the nondiabetic population, resulting in more than a 50% reduction of the excess death rates that have been repeatedly attributed to diabetes. Although excess mortality risk remains high, this excess risk is now considerably lower than previous reports and is consistent with improvements in several risk factors, complications and indicators of medical care and [is] representative of gradual, ongoing improvement in health for people with diagnosed diabetes,” researchers wrote in Diabetes Care.
Rates of decline did not differ between men and women with diabetes.
These results come from the researchers’ analysis of 1997-2004 National Health Interview Survey data from nearly 250,000 adults who were linked to the National Death Index.
“Diabetes carries significant personal and financial costs for individuals, their families and the health care systems that treat them,” study researcher Edward W. Gregg, PhD, chief of epidemiology and statistics in the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation, said in a press release. “As the number of people with diabetes increases, it will be more important than ever to manage the disease to reduce complications and premature deaths.”
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Disclosure: Dr. Gregg and colleagues report no relevant financial disclosures.