Diabetes-related deaths in New York City hit all-time high

Health officials say diabetes-related deaths in New York City have hit a record high, though the death rate is below the national average.

The city Health Department said Monday that the disease was the underlying or a contributing cause of 5,695 deaths in 2011. That is about 160 more such deaths than in 2010 and 1,260 more than in 1990.

That happened while the city's overall death rate hit an all-time low in 2010, when almost 8,000 fewer people died than in 2000.

The city's diabetes death rate now amounts to 67 fatalities per 100,000 people. The federal Health and Human Services Department says the national rate was just over 73 diabetes-related deaths per 100,000 people in 2007.

The city is launching a radio ad campaign about the risks of diabetes.