Adults with type 2 diabetes face high risk of dying from cancer

Cancer has overtaken cardiovascular disease as the most common cause of death in Scottish adults with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.

Investigators examined the causes of death of people with type 2 diabetes in Ayrshire and Arran, Scotland between 2009 and 2014 and compared them with national mortality rates. The most common cause of death was cancer (27.8%) followed by heart disease (24.1%).

The study's results confirmed an increased risk of early death in individuals with type 2 diabetes compared with the general population, and they suggested that where cardiovascular risk factors are being treated aggressively, cancer takes on a greater importance in the cause of death.