Summary
A 7-year follow-up study is reported on the prevalent population of all insulin-treated diabetic patients (n=1499) as of 1 July 1973 in the Funen County, Denmark. The analysis of mortality was based on data from 395 dead and the remaining 1104 living patients. Males had a significantly higher mortality than females and a lower age at onset was associated with a significantly higher mortality. An analysis of the causes of death revealed a higher than expected number of deaths in all categories studied, although the excess mortality was highest for diabetes mellitus itself and cardiovascular diseases. Diabetes mellitus was not notified on 15% of the death certificates, and this under-reporting varied according to duration of the disease and place of death. It is concluded that studies based solely on death certificates will underestimate the mortality of diabetes mellitus, and that further longitudinal studies of well-defined, population-based patient groups are needed to evaluate the determinants of mortality in diabetes.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Tunbridge WMG (1981) Factors contributing to deaths of diabetics under fifty years of age. Lancet 2: 569–572
Fuller JH, Elford J, Goldblatt P, Adelstein AM (1983) Diabetes mortality: new light on an underestimated public health problem. Diabetologia 24: 336–341
Green A, Hauge M, Holm NV, Rasch LL (1981) Epidemiological studies of diabetes mellitus in Denmark. II. A prevalence study based on insulin prescriptions. Diabetologia 20: 468–470
Green A, Hougaard P (1983) Epidemiological studies of diabetes mellitus in Denmark: 4. Clinical characteristics of insulin-treated diabetes. Diabetologia 25: 231–234
Cox DR (1972) Regression models and life tables (with discussion). J R Stat Soc, Series B, 34: 187–220
Kalbfleisch ID, Prentice RL (1980) The statistical analysis of failure time data. Wiley, New York
Danmarks Statistik (1981) Statistiske Meddelelser 1981:1 (“Befolkningens bevægelser 1979”). Copenhagen
World Health Organization (1969) Manual of the international statistical classification of diseases, injuries, and causes of death. Geneva
Sundhedsstyrelsen (1980) Dødsårsagerne i Danmark året 1978. Copenhagen
Garcia MJ, McNamara PM, Gordon T, Kannell WB (1974) Morbidity and mortality in diabetics in the Framingham population. Sixteen year follow-up study. Diabetes 23: 105–111
Bale GS, Entmacher PS (1977) Estimated life expectancy of diabetics. Diabetes 26: 434–438
Deckert T, Poulsen JE, Larsen M (1979) The prognosis of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and the importance of supervision. Acta Med Scand (Suppl) 624: 48–53
Królewski AS, Czyzyk A, Janeczko D, Kopczyński J (1977) Mortality from cardiovascular diseases among diabetics. Diabetologia 13: 345–350
Panzram G, Zabel-Langhennig R (1981) Prognosis of diabetes mellitus in a geographically defined population. Diabetologia 20: 587–591
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Green, A., Hougaard, P. Epidemiological studies of diabetes mellitus in Denmark: 5. Mortality and causes of death among insulin-treated diabetic patients. Diabetologia 26, 190–194 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00252405
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00252405