Mortality
Diabetes represents an underlying and contributing cause of death that places it among the top 10 causes of death in developed countries. In Western countries, DM ranks seventh as a cause of death.
In the United States from 1976 to 1983, diabetes was listed as the cause of death in 14.8 per 100,000 population. This rate was considerably higher in Mexico and in the Caribbean, with rates as high as 45 deaths per 100,000 for Trinidad and Tobago. In Africa the mortality rates are generally below 10 per 100,000. In Table VIII.34.3. Diabetes mortality trends by country and geographic area, 1970-2 and 1976-83 (rates per 100,000 population)| Area and country | 1970-2 | 1976-83 | IncreaseZDecrease |
| Africa | |||
| Egypt | 6.0 | 7.1 | ↑ |
| Mauritius | 12.9 | 17.1 | ↑ |
| Americas | |||
| Canada | 8.9 | 13.0 | ↑ |
| United States | 18.8 | 14.8 | I |
| Mexico | 19.8 | 18.8 | I |
| Venezuela | 8.9 | 11.4 | ↑ |
| Asia | |||
| Singapore | 9.6 | 15.1 | ↑ |
| Hong Kong | 7.2 | 5.1 | 1 |
| Japan | 7.4 | 7.1 | I |
| Europe | |||
| England and Wales | 10.8 | 9.3 | 1 |
| Malta | 76.3 | 21.7 | 4 |
| Sweden | 11.9 | 19.4 | ↑ |
Source: World Health Organization (1972, 1984).
Asia rates range from 5.1 per 100,000 for Hong Kong to 15.1 per 100,000 for Singapore.
In Europe, the rate ranges from a high of 21.7 per 100,000 for Malta to a low of 9.4 per 100,000 for England and Wales.The best early data on mortality are reported by Joslin and his associates in the 11 editions of Joslin’s book, Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus, the first of which was published in 1916. These volumes document a trend toward a decrease in early mortality from diabetes, due to increasing sophistication in therapeutic approaches, particularly with the advent and wide-scale use of insulin. Table VIII.34.3 reports comparative statistics for changes in diabetes mortality rates by geographic region for both developed and developing nations.