title: Reported parental age of death in type 2 diabetic patients with and without established diabetic nephropathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetic patients with renal disease have increased mortality, largely from cardiovascular disease. This could be related to insulin resistance or to other inherited factors. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether there is evidence of the familial aggregation of increased mortality, even in the absence of diabetes, by studying the reported parental age of death in type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy (group A), patients with type 2 diabetes but without nephropathy (group B) and normal controls (group C) were interviewed and asked to report the age of death of their parents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (+/-standard deviation) parental age of death was 68.2 (+/-13.8) years in group A, 67.3 (+/-16.0) years in group B and 68.1 (+/-14.9) years in group C. There was no statistical difference between any of the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our preliminary study has failed to show evidence of reduced life expectancy of parents of patients with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Clinic, St. Luke's Hospital, Guardamangia, Malta. sdfava@orbit.net.mt
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fava
authors.forename: Andrew T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Hattersley