Death cause and age at death among individuals with diabetes: a 40-year retrospective Brazilian study

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between specific/all-cause mortality and the individual's age at death. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study that employed STROBE guidelines to its development. Medical records of 1,367 individuals diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM) who died between 1981 and 2021, in Bauru, São Paulo state, Brazil, were evaluated. Demographic, clinical, and obituary data were collected from medical records and death certificates, serving as adjustment variables in the analysis. Statistics were developed by using Cox-regression models. RESULTS: The final model, adjusted by male sex and T2DM, revealed Hazard Ratios of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.59-0.92; p < 0.01) for infectious causes and 1.92 (95% CI: 1.12-3.37; p < 0.01) for gastrointestinal conditions. These findings suggest that infectious causes were associated with later ages at death, while gastrointestinal conditions were related to younger ages at death. The other evaluated variables and groups of death causes did not show statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that sex and DM type significantly influenced age at death. These findings emphasize the importance of considering demographic and clinical factors when assessing mortality patterns in DM, contributing to improved risk stratification and clinical management strategies.