In the last three decades, the annual death rate for people with diabetes has decreased for men but not for women, new research shows.

“The improvements seen in men suggest that improvements in diabetes care are working on longevity as well,” lead author Dr. Edward W. Gregg, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said in a statement. “But the finding in women is concerning and means we may need to explore whether different approaches are needed to improve health outcomes for women with diabetes.”

The findings, which are published online by the Annals of Internal Medicine, stem from an analysis of data from three consecutive, nationally representative surveys. The study focused on death-rate trends from 1971 to 2000 among more than 26,000 adults, including 2,059 with diabetes.

During the study period, the annual number of deaths from all causes fell from 42.6 to 24.4 for every 1000 diabetic men. While death rates were higher in men with diabetes than in those without diabetes, the downward trend was similar in both populations.

In women with diabetes, by contrast, no significant drop in annual death rates occurred during the study period.

In fact, the drop in death rates among men with diabetes eliminated the gender difference in rates among diabetic adults noted in prior surveys, the researchers point out.

According to a related editorial, the key to reducing the mortality rate in diabetic women is to address their heightened heart-disease risk.

Dr. Nanette K. Wenger, from Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, says doctors and patients need to recognize that women with diabetes “are at excess risk of developing coronary heart disease,” and to take an aggressive approach to reducing risk factors for coronary heart disease.

SOURCE: Annals of Internal Medicine, online June 18, 2007.