A total of 1, 939 non-insulin dependent diabetic patients (1, 200 males and 739 females), who were first seen at our hospital during 1960-1979, were followed up until the end of 1984, with a mean observation period of 9.4 years, and the causes of death in 503 patients who died were analyzed.
Cerebro-cardiovascular and renal disease accounted for about half of total deaths: among them heart disease was the cause of death in 19.5%, cerebrovascular disease in 16.7% and renal disease in 13.1%. Malignant neoplasms accounted for about a quarter of all deaths. The O/E ratio, or ratio of observed over expected number of deaths, which was computed based on the general population in Osaka, was highest for renal disease, 13.81, and was also elevated for ischemic heart disease. 3.08.
Deaths from renal disease were most prevalent in subjects with an age at onset less than 45 years. On the other hand, the percentage of deaths from ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and malignant neoplasms increased as age at onset advanced. During the study period, a remarkable increase in deaths from ischemic heart disease was observed, from 8.9% in 1960-1974 to 15.2% in 1980-4984.
The relationship between the baseline characteristics and causes of deah was analyzed. Patients dying from renal disease were characterized by a younger age at onset, a younger age at death and poor control, compared with those who died from ischemic heart disease or cerebrovascular disease.