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Increasing Rates
of Diabetes Among Older Americans
Newswise
— The annual number of Americans older than
65 newly diagnosed with diabetes increased
by 23 percent between 1994 to 1995 and 2003
to 2004, according to a report in the
January 28 issue of Archives of Internal
Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives
journals.
“The prevalence of
diabetes mellitus is increasing, in part
because of population aging, but also in
younger persons,” according to background
information in the article. The high rate of
existing diabetes also contributes to a high
rate of diabetes-related complications and
premature death.
“Awareness of the
importance of active monitoring and
management of diabetes has become more
widespread; however, adherence to
recommended practices remains low.”
Frank A. Sloan, Ph.D.,
and colleagues at the Duke University
Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, and
colleagues analyzed Medicare program data
for patients first diagnosed with diabetes
during 1994 (33,164 patients), 1999 (31,722
patients) and 2003 (40,058 patients).
This data was compared
with that of two control groups consisting
of individuals without the disease who were
of similar race and ethnicity to those with
diabetes.
Death and complications
of diabetes such as cardiovascular,
cerebrovascular (damage to blood cells in
the brain), ophthalmic (eye), renal (kidney)
and lower extremity events were recorded.
“The annual incidence
of diabetes increased by 23 percent between
1994 to 1995 and 2003 to 2004, and
prevalence increased by 62 percent,” the
authors write.
After diagnosis, the
death rate in patients having diabetes
decreased by 8.3 percent when compared with
those who were not diagnosed with the
disease.
Most patients with
diabetes experienced at least one
complication within the next six years; for
example, almost half had congestive heart
failure.
“Complication rates
among persons diagnosed as having diabetes
generally increased or stayed the same
compared with those in the control groups
during 1994 to 2004 except for ophthalmic
diseases associated with diabetes,” the
authors note.
“In some cases, most
notably renal events, including the most
serious complications, there were increases
in prevalence in both the diabetes and
control groups.”
“Overall, our findings
emphasize the overwhelming burden of
diabetes, including the near 90 percent
prevalence of an adverse outcome and many
serious and resource-consuming outcomes such
as coronary heart failure, myocardial
infarction [heart attack] and stroke,” the
authors conclude.
“The burden of
financing and providing medical care for
persons older than 65 in the United States
having diagnosed diabetes is growing rapidly
as a result of increased incidence and,
especially, prevalence of diagnosed
diabetes, decreased mortality and overall
lack of improvement in rates of
complications in persons having diagnosed
diabetes.”
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