Media Releases - 9 November 2022

There is some good news for people living with type 2 diabetes in a research report released today by the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute.

The report indicates that education and health management strategies may be driving a decline in death rates due to type 2 diabetes.

The CEO of Diabetes Victoria, Craig Bennett, has welcomed this news and said the research is cause for some cautious optimism about improving life expectancy for people living with type 2 diabetes.

“This research highlights the importance of diabetes education and management as key parts of ongoing diabetes care.

“The commitment of governments and organisations working to educate people living with the condition in countries such as Australia is resulting in reduced mortality rates for people living with type 2 diabetes,” said Mr Bennett.

The research by the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne and published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, has shown the life expectancy gap between people with type 2 diabetes and those without the condition is narrowing in about half of the jurisdictions that were assessed, including Singapore, the US, Canada, Denmark and Hong Kong.

Mr Bennett said, “Diabetes Victoria provides education, information and support to promote selfmanagement and empower all people living with diabetes. Our focus is on ensuring that the 91 people diagnosed in Victoria every day and the more than 361,000 people living with diabetes in this state are supported to understand and manage their diabetes in order to live well.

“It is more pressing than ever to invest in diabetes research to further our understanding of this serious and complex condition. Every dollar directed towards research is important,” he said.

Baker’s positive findings follow their global study published last year, as led by Professor Dianna Magliano OAM and Professor Jonathan Shaw, which showed the incidence of adult type 2 diabetes diagnosis was stable or falling in many developed countries.

“We know there is much more to be done and we echo Professor Shaw’s comments that there is still a long way to go to control the many risks associated with diabetes,” said Mr Bennett. “But these findings are promising evidence that we are moving in the right direction.”

For more information on Baker’s research, visit: www.baker.edu.au

Contact for media inquiries: Ms Annette Glenister on 0400 772 722.

Diabetes Victoria
Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country
comms@diabetesvic.org.au

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Diabetes Victoria is the leading charity and peak consumer body working to reduce the impact of diabetes in the Victorian community. Diabetes Victoria – visit us at www.diabetesvic.org.au