Cardiovascular Diabetology; Diabetologia; PLoS Medicine; Annals of Internal Medicine

Deaths and major complications from diabetes have declined in older people over the last sixteen years but not at all in younger age groups, according to researchers from the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine). They analysed the data of 770,000 people with diabetes and found that over a 16-year period, the incidence of major complications such as coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke declined by up to 80%, and deaths declined by 50%. The declines were mainly among older people with diabetes. There were no improvements seen for those under the age of 45. Given the rising number of young people with diabetes and their high risks of complications and death, the research team calls for focused efforts to meet the needs of this group. Results of these studies have been published in medical journals including Cardiovascular Diabetology, Diabetologia, PLoS Medicine and Annals of Internal Medicine.