In the decade leading up to 2006, the US saw a substantial drop in deaths for people with diabetes, especially in connection with heart disease and stroke, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Published online this month in the journal Diabetes Care, the researchers report that although American adults with diabetes are still more likely to die younger than those without diabetes, the gap is getting smaller.

However, they also conclude that: “These encouraging findings ... suggest that diabetes prevalence is likely to rise in the future if diabetes incidence is not curtailed.”

For the study, the researchers evaluated data from the 1997-2004 National Health Interview Survey covering nearly 250,000 adults who were linked to the National Death Index.

They suggest improved treatment for cardiovascular disease, better management of diabetes, and healthier lifestyles have contributed to the decline in deaths among people with diabetes.

They found people with diabetes were less likely to smoke and more likely to be physically active than they were in the past.

Improved control of blood pressure and cholesterol may also have played a part in improving health, although obesity levels are still rising among people with diabetes, they report.

Ann Albright, director of CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation, told the press:

“Taking care of your heart through healthy lifestyle choices is making a difference, but Americans continue to die from a disease that can be prevented.”

“Although the cardiovascular disease death rate for people with diabetes has dropped, it is still twice as high as for adults without diabetes,” she added.

Previous studies have shown that rates of heart disease and stroke are falling for all adults in the US. And they are falling faster for those with diabetes. In other recent studies CDC researchers have also reported falling rates of kidney failure, leg and feet amputations, and heart disease and stroke hospitalizations among people with diabetes.

However, because deaths are falling, and rates of newly diagnosed cases are still rising, we can expect the number of Americans living with diabetes to continue rising.

Diabetes prevalence has tripled since 1980, mostly due to type 2 diabetes, which is closely linked to rising obesity, inactivity and older age.

The CDC estimates there are 25.8 million Americans living with diabetes today, including 7 million who don’t know they have it.

Lead author Edward W. Gregg is chief of epidemiology and statistics in CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation. He said:

“Diabetes carries significant personal and financial costs for individuals, their families, and the health care systems that treat them.”

“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,” he urged.

By controlling blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, people with diabetes can reduce their risk of serious complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and blindness.

###

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD