Reducing The All-Cause Mortality Rate

KYW's Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There is interesting news from Sweden: the risk for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality have declined among patients with diabetes in that country.

Although it is still higher than in the general population, the report in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that the all-cause mortality risk declined by 21% over a 10-year period.

So why is Sweden doing so well?

According to researchers from the country, the increasing emphasis on integrated care of patients with chronic disease, improved patient education in disease management, and advancements in clinical decision-making support have probably reduced the rates of cardiovascular complications among patients with diabetes.

To cut through the jargon—the researchers are saying we could do the same thing in the United States as in Sweden.

All we have to do is work with diabetics in a coordinated way, combining the work of the physician, dietitian, pharmacist, and others to look at risk factors and control them.

It makes sense—we just have to do it