Five-year all-cause mortality of 1323 newly diagnosed middle-aged and elderly diabetic patients. Data from the population-based study, diabetes care in general practice, Denmark

Abstract

The 5- to 6-year all-cause mortality is analyzed in 1323 newly diagnosed diabetic patients aged 40 years or over. The median age at diagnosis is lower for men (63.6 years) than for women (67.5 years), but more men (24.7%) than women (20.0%) have died (p = 0.04). This male excess mortality can be attributed mainly to the 60- to 79-year-old men. With increasing diabetes duration, both male and female diabetic patients exhibit an increasing excess mortality in comparison with the Danish population. For men, this excess mortality becomes statistically significant 4 years after diagnosis for the 40- to 59-year-old patient and 6 years after diagnosis for the 60- to 79-year-old patient. For women and very old men, no statistically significant excess mortality is observed. After 2-4 years, however, there is a tendency for the survival curve of 40- to 79-year-old women to separate from that of the Danish female population to show an excess mortality. In this population-based study, the disadvantageous mortality experience of even newly diagnosed diabetic patients is clearly demonstrated.