Diabetic Mortality Rate Tied To Increased Obesity Rate

A new study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine states that the recent increase in the number of diabetes-related deaths is directly linked to an increase in obesity cases.

The study, which originated from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), pointed out how mortality rates from type 2 diabetic Scottish women had risen over the years. It showed that women under the age of 50 were five times as likely to die from diabetes now as compared to women back in 1990. The main cause linked to the deaths? Obesity.

According to the 1990 numbers, the mortality rate from diabetes of women under age 50 was 0.22 per 100,000. By 2009, that number had increased to 1.02. Men saw a similar increase, going from 0.75 per 100,000 in 1990 to 1.38 in 2009.

“People should not be dying at relatively young ages from diabetes- that is the key thing,” said Martin McKee, a professor of European public health at the LSHTM.

The study stated that many of the deaths would not have occurred if healthcare had been more effective and timely. It went on to say that even though diabetes is a treatable condition, the increasing rate of patients that are overweight are developing the condition at a much younger age due to obesity.

McKee went on to add: “Health systems nowadays should be able to keep them alive. What we are about to say from this data is that we need to look in more detail at exactly what is happening.”