Chronic disease in NB: What the numbers tell us
Author: NB-IRDT Staff
Posted on Jul 22, 2025
Living with chronic illness can be tough—as many New Brunswickers know firsthand. After all, New Brunswick has the highest rate of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke in Canada.
“Distribution of disease burden and healthcare resource utilization associated with diabetes and cardiovascular conditions in New Brunswick,” a recent study by NB-IRDT, took a close look at diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the province, and what it found was eye-opening.
Some communities—especially in Northern NB—experience much higher rates of chronic disease and related outcomes, including more emergency department visits and hospital admissions.
The data also show that across the province, people with diabetes aren’t getting their blood sugar tested as often as they should. And when they are tested, results often show blood sugar is too high. Understanding these patterns is an important step toward improving care and outcomes across NB.