ED Visits Up for Adults With Diabetes

From 2020 to 2021, the ED visit rate increased with age for adults with diabetes, according to a data brief published by the CDC. Researchers observed that the ED visit rate by adults with diabetes was 72.2 per 1,000 adults from 2020 to 2021, and the rate increased with age. The highest ED visit rates by adults with diabetes were seen among Black non-Hispanic people (136.6 per 1,000 adults per year) and were higher among White non-Hispanic than Hispanic individuals (69.9 vs 52.3 visits per 1,000 adults per year). For adults with diabetes and two to four chronic conditions, the ED visit rate was 541.4 per 1,000 adults per year in that time limit and increased with age. For adults with diabetes, there was an increase seen in ED visit rates from 48.6 to 74.9 visits per 1,000 adults in 2012 and 2021, respectively. “From 2012 through 2021, [ED] visit rates among all adults with diabetes increased, as well as among adults aged 45 and older,” the study authors wrote. “Among adults [aged] 18 to 44, ED visit rates increased during 2012 to 2016 and then remained stable during 2016 to 2021.”