04-9
Chapter One
Epidemiology of Vascular
Disease in Diabetes
Susan Laing
1.1 Introduction
Mortality rates in people with diabetes exceed those in the general population despite
many recent improvements in care. Diabetes is one of the most common chronic
diseases in the young, and is a substantial cause of morbidity as well as mortality at all
ages. After the introduction of insulin in 1922 it was hoped that adverse consequences
of diabetes might become a thing of the past, but mortality rates are still higher than
those in the general population and, in addition, the late complications of diabetes, in
particular cardiovascular disease (CVD), have been unmasked (Kessler, 1971; Dorman
et al., 1984; Orchard et al., 1990). The St Vincent declaration of 1989, pledged by
representatives of European government health departments, patient organizations and
diabetes experts, set targets for improving the outlook for people with diabetes. It
urged health departments throughout Europe to work towards a reduction in the heavy
burden of disease in these patients by better recognition and treatment in the early
stages and reduction of l ... read full excerpt from Diabetic Cardiology ebook
