Letter to Editor in response to the article “Rising mortality rates linked to type-2 diabetes and obesity in the United States: An observational analysis from 1999 to 2022”

Abstract

Dear Editor,

I read with great interest the article “Rising mortality rates linked to type-2 diabetes and obesity in the United States: An observational analysis from 1999 to 2022¹.” The study offers valuable insights into a critical public health issue. However, I noticed an apparent discrepancy between the statistical analysis and the graphical representation of the age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) trends.

The results section states that the AAMR increased steadily from 1999 to 2017 and then rose steeply. While I understand that the Annual Percentage Change (APC) analysis may have detected a statistical trend starting in 2017, the steep increase is more visually apparent only after 2019, as shown in figure 1. This disconnect between the statistical interpretation and the visual data could potentially confuse readers.

I would appreciate it if the authors could clarify how the APC analysis aligns with the visual trends in the graph. This clarification would ensure a more accurate understanding of the results and help bridge the gap between statistical and visual interpretations.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

None.

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Approval of the research protocol: N/A.

Informed consent: N/A.

Registry and the registration no. of the study/trial: N/A.

Animal studies: N/A.