In adults with diabetes, major cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality has declined, especially in men, a recent study found. Researchers used the National Health Interview Survey (1988-2014) with mortality follow-up through the end of 2015 to estimate nationally representative trends and disparities in major CVD, ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, heart failure (HF), and arrhythmia mortality among adults aged ≥20 years by diabetes status. They found:

• Over a mean follow-up of 11.8 years from 1988 to 2015 of 677,051 adults, there were significant decreases in major CVD death in adults with and without diabetes except adults aged 20 to 54 years.
• Among adults with diabetes, 10-year relative changes in mortality were significant for major CVD, IHD, and stroke, but not HF and arrhythmia.
• Men with diabetes had larger decreases in CVD death than women with diabetes.