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Almost a third of deaths from cardiovascular disease in England occur in people with diabetes, according to analysis by a leading charity.
A report by Diabetes UK has found that 29% of deaths from the disease in England occurred in people with diabetes, out of a total of 144,590 deaths in 2022, according to analysis of the National Diabetes Audit.
This figure has risen dramatically in recent decades. In 2009 only 15% of deaths from cardiovascular disease occurred in people with diabetes, out of a total of 147,820 deaths.
The report also found the UK spends £10.7bn on diabetes care each year, with the figure set to rise to £18bn by 2035, while just 61.3% of people received all of the recommended care processes for people living with diabetes in 2023-24. More than a third of these missed at least one of these checks.
An estimated 5.8 million people across the UK are living with diabetes, and about 90% of these cases are type 2 diabetes.
The report called for the government’s upcoming 10-year health plan to confirm the target of reducing death and disability from cardiovascular disease by a quarter, and that clear metrics should be outlined on how this target will be reached.
Colette Marshall, the chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: “Diabetes shouldn’t be a gateway to ill health but, right now, this is the devastating reality facing millions of people living with the condition. Diabetes leads to 812 strokes, 568 heart attacks and 2,909 cases of heart failure each week in England alone. But this can and must change.
“The government has already laid out its aims for the 10-year health plan, which is focused on switching the dial from sickness to the prevention of ill health. If they are to succeed in this aim, diabetes must be an integral part of their plans.
“We already have the tools and knowledge to successfully make this shift. Now we need the political will to fully deliver it. The government must act now, so no life is cut short by diabetes.”
Kamlesh Khunti, a professor of primary care diabetes and vascular medicine at the University of Leicester, said: “The findings of this report underscore the critical importance of cardiovascular health management in individuals with diabetes. We now have ample evidence that if we do the simple things well – like controlling blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose – we can significantly reduce complications and improve both the quality and length of life for people with diabetes.
“However, this report shows that one in three people do not receive the simple care processes that every person with diabetes should receive. This is just not good enough with the evidence that we have. We also now have specific therapies that prevent cardiovascular diseases and kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes.”
NHS England have been approached for comment.
