The rising deaths from diabetes and heart disease
The link between diabetes and heart disease
Diabetes mellitus, a long-standing health problem, has steadily increased in recent years.
In fact, the disease is prevalent in more than 37 million adults in the United States alone, accounting for about 15% of the adult population.
Unfortunately, the real number may be even higher due to undiagnosed cases.
dr Vardhmaan Jain, a cardiologist at the Emory School of Medicine, underscores the seriousness of this condition, stating, “Heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, hits diabetics hardest.”
The risk of complications related to cardiovascular disease increases significantly in people with diabetes.
In-depth study on mortality rates
To understand the magnitude of this pressing problem, Jain and his research team conducted a comprehensive study.
Their analysis focused on epidemiological data showing that diabetes can increase the risk of cardiovascular events in patients by a factor of two or even four.
In addition, diabetes can increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by up to three times.
The research team relied on data collected from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiological Research (WONDER) database.
They examined the data to identify adults ages 25 and older who died from cardiovascular disease and diabetes between 1999 and 2019.
Discover trends in mortality
The study revealed some alarming patterns in mortality over the past 20 years:
- Men and non-Hispanic black adults were more affected by the increase than other demographic subgroups.
- A large increase in mortality rates associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease was observed in younger adults (ages 25-54) and middle-aged adults (ages 55-69) in the final years of the study period.
- Mortality was significantly higher in rural than in urban areas. Over the years, this gap has widened.
- The states of the Midwest, West and South emerged as hotspots for higher mortality related to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Revealing the underlying reasons
Over the past two decades, the introduction of new therapies and updated management guidelines have revolutionized the treatment of diabetes and heart disease and the potential to improve individual life expectancy.
The bitter truth, however, is that these advances are inaccessible in much of the country, largely due to soaring healthcare costs and already existing inequalities in access to healthcare.
In addition, the negative trends in mortality rates are also due to lifestyle factors such as increases in hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, smoking and low physical activity.
These modifiable risk factors may not be optimally controlled in people with diabetes mellitus.
“Improved diabetes control at the population level can have wide-ranging positive effects on life expectancy,” Jain suggests.
The way forward: The imperative to act
This study underscores the urgent need to address rising death rates from diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the United States.
The research findings are an immediate call for action to improve diabetes management, encourage healthier lifestyle changes and address the glaring disparities in access and affordability of healthcare.
It is critical to ensure that the benefits from advances in medical treatments and management policies are extended to the most vulnerable populations.
Looking ahead, there is hope that this research will stimulate further studies to find more effective and affordable solutions to this looming health crisis.
Only through a concerted effort on all fronts—medical, social, and political—can we hope to stem the rise in diabetes and heart disease-related mortality and improve overall public health.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about it The best time to take vitamins to prevent heart diseaseand flu and COVID vaccines may increase the risk of heart disease.
For more information on heart health, see the latest studies showing that common diabetes medications increase heart attack risk and their results Calcium supplements can harm your heart health.
The study was published in The American Journal of Medicine.
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