Claims of 24,000 ‘excess’ deaths from diabetes Shock statistics
for diabetes deaths have been widely reported As many as 24,000
people with diabetes are dying unnecessarily each year, many of
the papers have reported today. This shock statistic was a
conclusion from the National Diabetes Audit, the first ever
report to look at deaths from the condition. While this is a
large number of deaths, it must be viewed in context – millions
of people live with this potentially life-threatening long-term
illness, yet it can be managed safely. The National Diabetes
Audit suggests that in England there are about 24,000 ‘excess
deaths’ a year in people with diagnosed diabetes. This means
that each year, around 24,000 more deaths occur among people
with diabetes than would be expected to occur if their mortality
risk was the same as that of the general population. A press
release from the NHS Information Centre, which published the
audit report, said these deaths could be avoided through better
management of the condition.