Diabetes and Death: The Great Equalizers Among Women and Men

The mortality rate has decreased in diabetic men but increased in diabetic women, and the difference in mortality rates between diabetic and nondiabetic women has more than doubled.

The last 30 years have seen major advances in diabetes management, but there have been no U.S. studies of mortality in people with diabetes. To assess trends in diabetes mortality, researchers analyzed three study cohorts from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) I, II, and III (follow-up years 1971–1986, 1976–1992, and 1988–2000, respectively).

Comparison of NHANES cohorts I and III showed that, in the nondiabetic population (both men and women), the overall mortality rate decreased with time (from 14.4/1000 to 9.5/1000; P<0.001); however, the overall mortality rate for diabetics did not change significantly. Interestingly, the mortality rate decreased in diabetic men but increased in diabetic women during this per…

Reviewing Author

Wendy S. Biggs, MD

Diabetes and Death: The Great Equalizers Among Women and Men

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Reviewing Author