HHS HealthBeat (August 20, 2012)

Diabetes and death

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Nicholas Garlow with HHS HealthBeat.

More people have diabetes now than ever before. People with diabetes often have other health risk factors, like obesity and high blood pressure. But data from the National Health Interview Survey shows that death rates are declining in both men and women with diabetes.

Dr. Edward Gregg is with the Division of Diabetes Translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“From the time period of 1997 to 2006, death rates for any cause and for cardiovascular disease in particular declined in people with diabetes.”

Those with diabetes can prevent their risk of cardiovascular disease by maintaining a healthy weight, healthy cholesterol levels, and by not smoking.

The study in the journal Diabetes Care was supported by CDC and the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at healthfinder.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Nicholas Garlow.

Last revised: August 22, 2012