[Mortality in a cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Alcañiz, Spain].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to compare the mortality rate of type 2 diabetic patients with the mortality rate of the background population. Also was assessed the impact of baseline variables on mortality.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study. Patients with type 2 diabetes were included from june 1994 to june 1998. The life status was ascertained on october 2001. Excess mortality, compared with the background population, was assessed in terms of standardised mortality ratio (SMR) for the whole group, for males and for females. The Cox's model was used to investigate the influence of baseline risk factors on mortality.


RESULTS
463 patients were included. The mean follow-up was of 5 years. The life status was ascertained for the 99% of the cohort. The mortality rate of the whole group was 21.75 per 1000 (31.4 per 1000 males and 16.4 per 1000 females). The SMR of the whole group was 147% (IC 95%: 109-194; p < 0.05), the SMR of males 167% (IC 95%: 107-246; p < 0.05) and the SMR of females 147% (IC 95%: 95-217; p = ns). The independent predictors of early mortality on multivariate survival analysis were age (HR = 1.13; IC 95%: 1.08-1.18; p < 0.0001) and proteinuria (HR = 4.72; IC 95%: 2.15-10.35; p = 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Diabetic patients in our population have increased their mortality risk in 47%. The main risk factor of mortality was the presence of proteinuria.
Gimeno Orna
J A
JA
Sección de Medicina Interna, Hospital Comarcal de Alcañiz, Teruel.
Boned Juliani
B
B
Lou Arnal
L M
LM
Castro Alonso
F J
FJ
D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology