The disparity between long-term survival in patients with and without diabetes following a first myocardial infarction did not change between 1989 and 2006 : an analysis of 6,776 patients in the Northern Sweden MONICA Study

• Aims/hypothesis: Long-term survival after myocardial infarction(MI) has improved in the population, but data ondiabetic patients is lacking. We analysed survival for up to18 years after a first MI in patients with or without diabetesMethods: The Northern Sweden MONICA MyocardialInfarction Registry was linked to the Cause-of-DeathRegistry for a total of 6,776 patients, 25–64 years of age,with a first MI during 1989–2006. Prehospital deaths wereincluded. Follow-up ended on 30 August 2008.Results: Sixteen per cent had diabetes. Median follow-uptime was 6.8 years, and the study included 50,667 patientyears.One third of the non-diabetic patients died vs half ofthe diabetic patients. Median survival for non-diabetic menwas 227 months and for diabetic men 123 months.Corresponding figures for the non-diabetic and diabeticwomen were 222 and 81 months respectively. Men withdiabetes had an age-adjusted HR for all-cause mortality of 1.56 (95% CI 1.39, 1.79) vs men without diabetes. Mortality risk was higher among diabetic women, HR1.97 (1.62, 2.39) (diabetes × sex interaction, p=0.03). Survival increased for three consecutive cohorts and washigher in non-diabetic patients for all durations of follow-upand in all three cohorts. The interaction of diabetes x cohortwas not significant over time (p=0.5) and HRs did notdiffer either.Conclusions/interpretation Long-term survival after a firstMI is markedly lower in diabetic patients, especially amongwomen, over an 18-year observation time. Althoughsurvival has improved in diabetic patients, the effect ofdiabetes upon mortality has not diminished.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Diabetes mellitus

Mortality

Myocardial infarction

Sex

Time trends

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)