[Analysis of mortality causes for 165 type 2 diabetics: an autopsy study]

To analyze the main mortality causes and pathological characteristics of type 2 diabetics with autopsy findings.

A total of 165 autopsy reports of type 2 diabetics were retrospectively reviewed and summarized at our institution. And 165 non-diabetics during the same period were analyzed similarly.

The clinical data showed that type 2 diabetics had a higher risk for coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, hyperlipidemia and renal diseases than non-diabetics (P < 0.05). The pathological data revealed that the rate of myocardium diseases in type 2 diabetics (69.6%, n = 103) was higher than that in non-diabetics (58.6%, n = 85). The evaluation of arteriosclerotic grading demonstrated that the degree of arteriosclerosis in type 2 diabetics was severer than that in non-diabetics. The organ weight analysis showed the weight of thyroid, heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, adrenal gland and brain had no significant difference between type 2 diabetics and non-diabetics (P > 0.05). The three major mortality causes were malignant neoplasms (39.4%, n = 65), circulatory system diseases (35.2%, n = 58) and respiratory system diseases (9.1%, n = 15).

The onset of malignant tumors, especially gastrointestinal one, should be monitored closely during the prevention and treatment of cardiocerebrovascular diseases and complications.