GLUCOSE-TOLERANCE AND MORTALITY IN AN ELDERLY FINNISH POPULATION

The aim of this study was to describe the association between glucose tolerance status and mortality in an elderly (> 70 years) Finnish comm unity-living population (n = 379, of whom 141 were men). The baseline examination in 1991-1992 consisted of a postal questionnaire, a physic al examination, and a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test. The follow-up w as continued until death or 31 May 1996. The deaths were ascertained f rom official death certificates; 31% (n = 44) of the men and 18% (n = 40) of the women died within 4 years. The cumulative 4-year mortalitie s were 42% in previously diagnosed diabetic men, 25% in previously und iagnosed diabetic men, 27% in men with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT ), and 31% in men with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). The correspondi ng figures for women were: 26%, 29%, 19%, and 8%, respectively. After adjusting for age, gender, smoking, body mass index and exercise by th e Cox proportional hazards model in the total population, the estimate d relative mortality rate was 2.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2 to 4.1) in previously diagnosed diabetic subjects, 1.7 (95% CI 0.8 to 3. 7) in subjects with previously undiagnosed diabetes, and 1.2 (95% CI 0 .7 to 2.1) in the IGT group, respectively, all in comparison to the NG T subjects. In separate modelling by gender these relative mortalities were higher in women than in men, but the gender difference could wel l be explained by chance variation. In. conclusion, the results sugges t that previously diagnosed diabetes is associated with increased mort ality among the elderly and, particularly among elderly women, undiagn osed diabetes and even IGT may be associated with increased mortality. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.