Diabetes Linked With Risk of Premature Death
Major Finding: After adjustment for age, sex, smoking status, and body mass index, the risk of death from any cause was increased in patients with diabetes, compared with those without diabetes (HR, 1.80), as was the risk of death from cancer (HR, 1.25), vascular causes (HR, 2.32), "other" nonvascular causes not attributed to cancer (HR, 1.73), and unknown or ill-defined causes (HR, 1.88).
Data Source: An analysis of individual-participant data from 97 prospective studies.
Disclosures: This study was supported by grants from the British Heart Foundation, the U.K. Medical Research Council, Pfizer, the Gates Cambridge Trust Scholarship, an Overseas Research Studentship Award, and an Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust Clinical Research Fellowship to the EFRC and/or individual EFRC members. Members’ specific disclosures are available with the full text of the EFRC article at NEJM.com.
"Future studies are warranted to investigate additional (and potentially more specific) risk factors that may link diabetes and chronic disease, to study non-Western populations, and to explain associations observed between very low glucose levels and vascular death in people without diabetes," they said, concluding that the findings of the study underscore the need for better understanding and prevention of the multisystem consequences of diabetes.
This study was supported by grants from the British Heart Foundation, the U.K. Medical Research Council, Pfizer, the Gates Cambridge Trust Scholarship, an Overseas Research Studentship Award, and an Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust Clinical Research Fellowship to the EFRC and/or individual EFRC members. Members’ specific disclosures are available with the full text of the EFRC article at NEJM.com.
