Finally, there's some good diabetes news: The incidence of end-stage renal disease in people with the condition dropped between 1997 and 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
Data for 1990–2002 obtained from the National Health Interview Survey and the United States Renal Data System reveal trends that vary by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and the time period evaluated during the total 12 years. Although the number of new cases of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) attributed to diabetes mellitus (ESRD-DM) increased overall, the incidence did not increase among blacks, Hispanics, men, and individuals aged 65–74 years and it declined among diabetics aged younger than 65 years, women, and whites (MMWR 2005:54;1097–100).
The age-adjusted incidence of ESRD-DM increased from 247 per 100,000 diabetic individuals in 1990 to 305 in 1996, but declined after that from 293/100,000 in 1997 to 232 in 2002. The magnitude of this decline varied by age group: During 1997–2002, incidence decreased for those aged younger than 65 years, by 28% for those aged younger than 45 years, and by 19% for those aged 45–64 years. Incidence increased by 10% for those aged 75 and older.
During 1990–2002, the age-adjusted incidence was greater among men than women and higher among blacks than whites. During the latter 6 years, the rate decreased among women and among whites, but not among men or blacks.
Reasons for the improvements might include a reduction in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risks, improved diabetes care practices, or new pharmacologic agents developed to reduce the prevalence of kidney disease risks, according to the CDC.