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Diabetes death rate has dropped since 1990s
June 26, 2013
Study shows treatment has improved prognosis for patients with the chronic condition.
People with diabetes are at less risk from dying early due to the illness than they were in the mid-1990s, according to a study.
BBC News reported that the research, published in specialist journal Diabetologia, looked at the likelihood of patients with diabetes dying early compared to those without.
In 1996, diabetic patients were two times as likely to die than people in the general population. This reduced to 1.5 times in 2009.
Researchers used databases from Ontario, Canada and the UK to carry out the analysis. They concluded the sharp drop in risk was a result of earlier diagnosis and better treatment options.
However, charity Diabetes UK warned there were still thousands of people dying early as a result of the disease every year.
Director of research Dr Alasdair Rankin welcomed the results as "really good news", but said "urgent action" was still needed to tackle premature deaths.
Diabetes UK said around three million people in the UK are diagnosed with diabetes. A further 850,000 are estimated to be living with the condition without knowing.
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