Key result
Diabetes is linked to up to ~6.5-fold higher sudden cardiac death rates vs general population.
Why the study?
Does Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes increase the incidence of sudden cardiac death and reduce life expectancy compared to the general population?
Cohort
Does Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes increase the incidence of sudden cardiac death and reduce life expectancy compared to the general population?
Effect estimate: 3.7 times higher for T1D and 6.5 times higher for T2D
Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are independently associated with a significantly increased risk of sudden cardiac death, which is a major contributing factor to shortened life expectancy in these patients.
Background and Aims Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, nationwide, unselected studies are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the incidence rates of SCD among individuals with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and to quantify the shortened life expectancy that can be attributed to SCD. Methods The study included the entire Danish population in 2010. Sudden cardiac death cases were identified through the detailed Danish death certificates, and discharge summaries, and if performed, autopsy reports. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate risk of SCD in diabetes patients. Loss of life years was estimated for both T1D and T2D patients. Results Among the identified 6862 SCD cases, 97 were diagnosed with T1D and 1149 with T2D. Incidence rates of SCD were 3.7 times higher for T1D and 6.5 times higher for T2D compared with the general population. After multivariable adjustment, both T1D and T2D were independently associated with SCD. The greatest risk difference was observed in younger individuals with diabetes. Life-years lost were on average 14.2 and 7.9 years shorter for patients with T1D and T2D, respectively. A reduced life expectancy of 3.4 and 2.7 years was found to be attributed to SCD for T1D and T2D, respectively. Conclusions Individuals with diabetes displayed consistently elevated incidence rates of SCD across age groups. Further, the elevated risk of SCD in individuals with diabetes diminished with increasing age. For both T1D and T2D, SCD was an important contributing factor to shortened life expectancy.
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Skjelbred et al. (2025) conducted a cohort in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes vs. General population was evaluated on Sudden cardiac death (3.7 times higher for T1D and 6.5 times higher for T2D). Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes were associated with 3.7- and 6.5-fold higher incidence rates of sudden cardiac death, respectively, compared with the general population.
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