This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Diabetes increases all-cause mortality risk in Chinese adults
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
In Chinese adults, diabetes was significantly associated with an increased risk for mortality from a range of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular disease, study data show.
Zhengming Chen, DPhil, of the department of population health, University of Oxford in England, and colleagues evaluated data from a 7-year nationwide prospective study of 512,869 Chinese adults (mean age, 51.5 years; 5.9% with diabetes) recruited between June 2004 and July 2008. Follow-up was conducted until January 2014.
The prevalence of diabetes was higher in urban areas (8.1%) compared with rural areas (4.1%). Overall, 24,909 participants died throughout follow-up; 3,384 with diabetes. The risk for all-cause mortality was significantly higher among participants with diabetes compared with participants without diabetes (adjusted RR = 2; 95% CI, 1.93-2.08). The risk for all-cause mortality was also higher among participants with or without diabetes living in rural areas compared with those living in urban areas.
Diabetes was associated with an increased risk for death from CVD (RR = 2.13; 95% CI, 2.01-2.26), ischemic heart disease (RR = 2.4; 95% CI, 1.29-2.63), stroke (RR = 1.98; 95% CI, 1.81-2.17), chronic liver disease (RR = 2.32; 95% CI, 1.76-3.06), infections (RR = 2.29; 95% CI, 1.76-2.99), liver cancer (RR = 1.54; 95% CI, 1.28-1.86), pancreatic cancer (RR = 1.84; 95% CI, 1.35-2.51), female breast cancer (RR = 1.84; 95% CI, 1.24-2.74) and female reproductive system cancer (RR = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.2-2.74).
“This large prospective study of adults from rural and urban areas in China showed that diabetes was associated with significantly increased mortality from a wide range of diseases, with the greatest proportional excess mortality from diabetic ketoacidosis or coma and [chronic kidney disease], followed by [ischemic heart disease], stroke, other vascular, chronic liver disease, infection, certain cancers (mainly liver, pancreatic, female breast, and endometrial cancers), and external causes,” the researchers wrote. “Even though the prevalence of diabetes was higher in urban areas, diabetes was associated with greater excess mortality in rural areas.”
In an accompanying editorial, Margaret Chan, MD, of WHO in Switzerland, wrote that the study provides “the first reliable evidence of the specific diseases and complications that account for mortality among Chinese individuals with diabetes.”
“In public health, what gets measured gets done,” she wrote. “The quality of precise measurement reported by Bragg et al provides confidence that Chinese authorities will continue to move the country’s health reforms in the right direction, with results that also improve the prevention and control of diabetes. [WHO] has identified a number of best-buy interventions for diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases to help countries do so.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: Chen and Chan report no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts