Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes: Policies for Better Health and Quality of Care

Over the past 50 years, the reduction of mortality from CVD in Germany has followed a similar trend as the OECD average, reaching 310 per 100 000 population, 4% higher than the OECD average of 299 in 2011 (Figure 1). However, potential years of life lost, a commonly used measure of premature mortality, at 490 per 100 000 population for diseases of the circulatory system in 2011, is 16% lower than the OECD average of 581 (by using the age limit of 70), suggesting that CVD-related deaths occur later in life than in many other OECD countries. The reported prevalence of diabetes is 7.9% in 2014, compared to an OECD average of 6.9% in 2011. Although more recent data are not available, the number of patients with end-stage kidney failure (ESKF), often caused by diabetes and hypertension, at 87 per 100 000 population in 2000, is also lower than the OECD average of 101 in 2011.