THE CONTRIBUTION OF DIABETES TO EARLY DEATHS FROM ISCHEMIC-HEART-DISEASE - US GENDER AND RACIAL COMPARISONS

We evaluated the contribution of diabetes mellitus to premature ischem ic heart disease mortality among US race- and gender-specific groups i n 1986. Among persons aged 45 to 64 years, we examined ischemic heart disease death rates (corrected for underreporting of diabetes on death certificates) by diabetes status and calculated the population attrib utable risk due to diabetes for each group. Diabetes increased the isc hemic heart disease death rate by 9 to 10 times for women but by only 2 to 3 times for men. Racial differences in ischemic heart disease mor tality attributable to diabetes were greater for women (Blacks = 39%; Whites = 27%) than for men (Blacks = 19%; Whites = 14%). These discrep ancies in the contribution of diabetes to ischemic heart disease morta lity warrant further study.