Report from the National Diabetes Surveillance System: Diabetes in Canada, 2009

[Previous] [Table of Contents] [Next]

Mortality Rates¹

• Overall mortality rates were twice as high for individuals with diabetes compared to individuals without diabetes.
• The differences in mortality rates for people with and without diabetes were higher for the younger age groups. The mortality rates were 4 to 6 times higher than those without diabetes for adults aged 20 to 44. While for adults aged 45 to 79, the rates were 2 to 3 times higher for individuals with diabetes (Figure 9).
• Diabetes significantly shortens life expectancy for all ages. For, the 20 to 39 year age groups, women with diagnosed diabetes had, on average, about a 9-year reduction in life expectancy, while men had about an 8-year reduction (Figure 10).
• Both girls and boys with diagnosed diabetes in the 1 to 19 year age groups had about a 10-year reduction in life expectancy (Figure 10). This is likely an underestimation, as studies in the United States showed that having type 1 diabetes reduced the life expectancy by about 15 years.²

---

Figure 9 - Text Equivalent

---

Figure 10 - Text Equivalent

---

Footnotes

¹ Data from Quebec were unavailable.
² Panzram G: Epidemiologic data on excess mortality and life expectancy in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus-critical review. Exp Clin Endocrinol 83:93-100, 1984.

[Previous] [Table of Contents] [Next]