Trends in cause-specific mortality among people with type 2 and type 1 diabetes from 2002 to 2019:A Danish population-based study

BackgroundDespite advances in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease,excess mortality persists within the diabetes population. This study explores thecomponents of this excess mortality and their interaction with sex.MethodsUsing Danish registries (2002-2019), we identified residents aged 18-99 years, theirdiabetes status, and recorded causes of death. Applying Lexis-based methods, wecomputed age-standardized mortality rates (asMRs), mortality relative risks (asMRRs),and log-linear trends for cause-specific mortality.FindingsFrom 2002-2019, 958,278 individuals died in Denmark (T2D: 148,620; T1D: 7,830)during 84.4M person-years. During the study period, overall asMRs declined, driven byreducing cardiovascular mortality, notably in men with T2D. Conversely, cancermortality remained high, making cancer the leading cause of death in individuals withT2D. Individuals with T2D faced an elevated mortality risk from nearly all cancer types,ranging from 9% to 257% compared to their non-diabetic counterparts. Notably,obesity-related cancers exhibited the highest relative risks: liver cancer (Men: asMRR3·58(3·28;3·91); Women: asMRR 2·49(2·14;2·89)), pancreatic cancer (Men: asMRR3·50(3·25;3·77); Women: asMRR 3·57(3·31;3·85)), and kidney cancer (Men: asMRR2·10(1·84;2·40); Women: asMRR 2·31(1·92;2·79)). In men with type 2 diabetes, excessmortality remained stable, except for dementia. In women, diabetes-related excessmortality increased by 6-17% per decade across all causes of death, exceptcardiovascular disease.InterpretationIn the last decade, cancer has emerged as the leading cause of death amongindividuals with T2D in Denmark, emphasizing the need for diabetes managementstrategies incorporating cancer prevention. A sex-specific approach is crucial toaddress persistently higher relative mortality in women with diabetes.FundingSupported by Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, which is partially funded by anunrestricted donation from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and by The Danish DiabetesAcademy.<br/