Improvements in life expectancy in adult type 2 diabetes patients in the last six decades

Aim: To investigate the historical changes in survival with diabetes in adult type 2 diabetes patients. Methods: We analyzed 9066 deaths, 54.2% males, registered at I. Pavel'' Bucharest Diabetes Centre, aged 40-64 years and deceased between 1943 and 2009. We split the analysis in three time periods according to year of death: 1943-1965, 1966-1988 and 1989-2009. Results: The mean age at diabetes onset was 55.5 +/- 6.2 years, with mean disease duration at death 12.7 +/- 8.2 years and mean age at death 68.2 +/- 8.7 years. The mean disease duration at death was 9.9 +/- 7.3 years in 1943-1965 period, followed by a significant (p < 0.001) rise to 12.2 +/- 8.2 years in 1966-1988, and 14 +/- 8.1 years (p < 0.001) in 1989-2009. There was a significant increase for coronary heart diseases and cancer and a significant decrease for infections and end-stage renal disease as causes of death. Conclusion: We found a significant increase in age at onset and survival with diabetes leading to a significant increase in age at death. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.