Why is Diabetes Such an Important Public Health Issue?
Between 1993 and 1995, diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death among Ontario females and the seventh leading cause among Ontario males. In 1996, diabetes was listed as the cause of death for 2,292 Ontarians. The death rate for diabetes increased by nearly 25 per cent between 1986 and 1996; the increase was 33 per cent for males and 16 per cent for females. Yet the number of deaths related to diabetes is substantially underestimated due to the method by which deaths are recorded. Because people with diabetes often die from diabetic complications such as heart disease, the complications are recorded as the cause of death, instead of diabetes. More than 600,000 people in Ontario have been diagnosed with diabetes. Up to 300,000 more are estimated to have diabetes but not yet know it. The number of people with diabetes will more than double by 2016. This increase is due to longer life expectancy and the number of baby boomers who are growing older. The prevalence of diabetes increases
