Diabetes is a main cause of death in the United States and a contributing cause of deaths from many other conditions. In 2007,diabetes was a contributing cause of death 2.4 times as often as it was the underlying cause of death for persons aged >=65 years. Age-adjusted death rates for deaths with diabetes declined for white and black persons aged >=65 years from 2005 to 2007, after generally increasing from 1981 to 2002. In 2007, or the rate was higher for black men and women than for white men and women.
Source: cdc.gov