ADA 2024: Cause-Specific Mortality Is Diversifying in Those with Diabetes—A Multicountry Analysis

A multi-country study examined trends in causes of mortality amongst people with diabetes. The trends were explored across 10 cause of death categories, i.e., cancer, cardiovascular [CVD], dementia, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, infection, liver, renal, respiratory disease, and all others. 

In this study, cause-specific death data for people with diabetes was collected from nine different high-income nations between 2000 and 2020. The information for this research came from administrative sources such as health insurance, registries etc. The proportional contributions of causes of death to total fatalities in the ten categories were age-standardised and regressed against time. 

A total of 1,624,100 deaths were included from the 9 jurisdictions. Analysis reveals that the leading causes of death in every jurisdiction had shifted away from diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The reduction in number of deaths from CVD was in the range of 0.34% - 2.32% per year (all Ptrend < 0.001). The number of deaths attributed to diabetes decreased in eight out of nine jurisdictions, from 0.09% to 0.87% per year, but increased in Lithuania (0.64% per year). 

Deaths due to dementia increased (from 0.07% to 0.52% yearly) in eight of the nine jurisdictions. Deaths due to ‘other’ causes also showed an increasing trend. In five of the nine jurisdictions, the number of deaths due to cancer increased. Varied trends were observed in the remaining cause-of-death categories.

This study reveals that among people with diabetes, the causes of death seem to have shifted away from diabetes and CVD whereas there seems to be a rise in deaths due to dementia and cancer. These trends should be considered while planning resource allocation. 

1386-P: American Diabetes Association (ADA) 84th Scientific Sessions, 2024, 21- 24 June 2024, Orlando, Florida.