[Mortality from cardiovascular diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes]

In the period 1973/74-1995 a prospective observation was carried out on 4420 diabetic patients (1990 males and 2430 females) aged 30-68 years, with type 2 (non-insulin dependent diabetes) of 1-10 years duration. During the 22-year period nearly 80% of the initial cohort died. The risk of death was 2-times higher in diabetes than in the samples of general population observed at the same time. The death risk from cardiovascular diseases was over 3.0 times higher than in general population. The relevant risk ratio was found over 5-times higher for coronary heart disease, which was unlike to result from the differences in death ascertainment between diabetics and the city dwellers. The all-causes ratio of death and cardiovascular diseases was the same for women and men but it was selectively higher for females than males group for coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases, and for males 50% higher for atherosclerosis and other heart diseases. The highest cumulation of risk factors was observed for deaths from cardiovascular diseases, and coronary heart disease. There were risk factors typical for cardiovascular disease and typical for poor metabolic control of diabetes (hyperglycaemia, glucosuria) and presence of complications of diabetes (nephropathy).