Diabetes And Death

Filed in archive Information on September 29, 2006

What a grim association. But we can't ignore it, as diabetes is quickly rising in the ranks on its way to becoming the #1 killer in the world.

The September 25 issue of Critical Care published a study, The role of body mass index and diabetes in the development of acute organ failure and subsequent mortality in an observational cohort, that found "obesity by itself is not a significant predictor of either acute organ failure or death during or after acute organ failure in this cohort. However, the presence of DM, which is related to obesity, is a strong predictor of both acute organ failure and death after acute organ failure."

But is it really? This fascinating article provides a look at both sides of the issue: are we right to be alarmed, or has the media sensationalized the true danger of diabetes?

"The new findings are not likely to end the medical debate about whether obesity is a direct or indirect cause of early death. The issue made headlines a year ago last spring, when CDC researchers reported that the risk of obesity-related death was much lower than had been previously believed. Researchers also reported no increase in death risk among people who were overweight but not obese. The report was widely criticized, and a reanalysis of the same data by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health showed a strong association between obesity and early mortality."

What do you think: grim predictor of mortality, or a scare tactic?