Diabetes Deaths Are Down? That’s Good News, But Don’t Let It Fool You.

The headlines might have caught your eye: “Diabetes deaths fall to lowest levels in years,” as CBS News reported, citing preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Any indication of a decrease in mortality associated with a serious chronic condition like diabetes is undoubtedly a positive development. It suggests that perhaps advancements in treatment, increased awareness, or other factors are beginning to have a tangible impact.

The article points to a reversal of a surge in deaths seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and notes that this downward trend was actually in place before the pandemic began. This offers a glimmer of hope in the ongoing battle against this prevalent disease.

But let’s be absolutely clear: a positive headline does not negate the daily realities and the inherent dangers of living with diabetes. To think that this disease has somehow become less serious or less demanding of diligent management would be a grave and potentially fatal mistake.

For those of us navigating life with diabetes, the journey is a constant balancing act. It involves meticulous blood sugar monitoring, thoughtful dietary choices that often deviate significantly from convenience and cravings, and the unwavering commitment to taking prescribed medications, often multiple times a day. I personally saw my own A1C plummet from a concerning 10.5 to a much healthier 4.8 in just six months through consistent effort and adherence to my doctor’s recommendations. Yet, I know my experience isn’t universal. The truth is, while fighting cancer, it went back up, no matter what I did! I’m still working to get it back down. Unfortunately, many individuals with diabetes struggle to maintain this level of vigilance.

And this is where the danger of a seemingly positive headline lies. It risks fostering a sense of complacency, a feeling that perhaps the warnings from healthcare providers are overblown. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Let me tell you about my friend. [Italian accent optional] Younger than me by a decade, she also lived with diabetes. But her approach to the disease was starkly different. Medications were often forgotten. Her diet was a constant indulgence in high-fat, high-sugar comfort foods. Smoking was a persistent habit. When a seemingly innocuous blister appeared on her foot, it was dismissed as a footwear issue. That blister soon became an infected wound, a common and terrifying complication of poorly managed diabetes. Despite medical intervention – antibiotics and insulin – her inconsistent adherence to treatment allowed the infection to progress. Ultimately, she underwent an amputation below the knee. Tragically, a few months later, a fall in the night, a consequence of her impaired mobility and a reluctance to ask for help, led to a fatal head injury.

Her story is not an anomaly. It is a stark and heartbreaking illustration of what can happen when diabetes is not taken with the deadly seriousness it deserves. This is not a disease to be trifled with.

While the pharmaceutical landscape has evolved, offering newer and potentially more effective medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro, these are tools, not magic wands. They work best when used consistently and in conjunction with the foundational pillars of diabetes management: a healthy diet and regular physical activity. To believe that these advancements somehow negate the need for personal responsibility is a dangerous fallacy.

The fundamental truth remains: you don’t “win” against diabetes by ignoring it. It is a chronic condition that, if left unmanaged, will inevitably lead to severe complications and premature death. You either dedicate yourself to managing it effectively and live a longer, healthier life with it, or you risk succumbing to its devastating consequences.

So, while the news of a potential decrease in diabetes deaths is a welcome data point, please, do not let a headline lull you into a false sense of security. If you are living with diabetes, now is not the time to relax your vigilance. Now is the time to double down on listening to your doctors, taking your medications as prescribed, making conscious dietary choices, and moving your body. This is not a disease you can afford to play with and expect to win. Your life, your well-being, depends on taking it seriously, every single day.