Blood glucose and diabetes mellitus predicting mortality in persons aged 85 years or above

The population aged 85 years or over (n = 674) living in Tampere, Finland was surveyed in 1977-1978. In an investigation of the prognostic survival of new and previously diagnosed diabetic patients, the levels of blood glucose were analysed in 558 persons, 99 men and 459 women. The relative sex- and age-adjusted survival rates were evaluated at the 5-year follow-up. The mortality after 5 years of the 17 new diabetics at home did not differ significantly from that of the 225 non-diabetics at home. The mortality of 30 patients with previously diagnosed diabetes mellitus was higher than that of the non-diabetics. The survival prognosis of the diabetics on antidiabetic medication did not differ from that of those on diet. An increased risk of mortality was found in this series in previously diagnosed diabetics and--most unexpectedly--in non-diabetics with the lowest fasting blood-glucose levels.