Sex Differences in Diabetes Mellitus Mortality Trends in Brazil, 1980-2012.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the hypothesis that the change from the female predominance of diabetes mellitus to a standard of equality or even male preponderance can already be observed in Brazilian mortality statistics.


METHODS
Data on deaths for which diabetes mellitus was listed as the underlying cause were obtained from the Brazilian Mortality Information System for the years 1980 to 2012. The mortality data were also analyzed according to the multiple causes of death approach from 2001 to 2012. The population data came from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The mortality rates were standardized to the world population. We used a log-linear joinpoint regression to evaluate trends in age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR).


RESULTS
From 1980 to 2012, we found a marked increment in the diabetes ASMR among Brazilian men and a less sharp increase in the rate among women, with the latter period (2003-2012) showing a slight decrease among women, though it was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that diabetes mellitus in Brazil has changed from a pattern of higher mortality among women compared to men to equality or even male predominance.
Institute for Studies in Collective Health, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Thainá Alves
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5644-1089
TA
Malhão
Institute for Studies in Collective Health, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Alexandre Dos Santos
Ados S
Brito
Institute for Studies in Collective Health, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Rejane Sobrino
RS
Pinheiro
School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Cristiane da Silva
Cda S
Cabral
Department of Political Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Thais Medina Coeli Rochel de
TM
Camargo
Institute for Studies in Collective Health, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Claudia Medina
CM
Coeli
D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors