People with diabetes now face a much lower risk for developing serious complications than they had in decades past new research indicates.
The finding published in the New England Journal of Medicine follows a review of several large surveys and data registries.

The new analysis reveals that between 1990 and 2010 diabetics saw their risk for a heart attack plummet by nearly 70%.

Similarly, the risk for dying from excessive high blood glucose complications fell by nearly 65%… while diabetic-related strokes and amputations dropped off by roughly 52%.

Much of the benefit appears to go to older people with diabetes, 75 and up. That group saw the biggest decline in complication risk with the exception of end-stage renal disease. However, the study team pointed out that while overall complication risk has indeed fallen the number of people with diabetes who continue to struggle with related illnesses has actually gone up. Why? More and more Americans now have diabetes as the pool of patients rose from just 6.5 million in 1990 to nearly 21 million by 2010.

I’m Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV with the information you need to protect your health.

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