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

For women aged 30 to 69 and men aged 40 to 69, the incidence rates for diagnosed diabetes were higher than the all-cause mortality rates among men and women with diagnosed diabetes in the same age groups. If thispattern continues, the prevalence for diagnosed diabetes will continue to rise. 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 10

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. Both girls and boys with diagnosed diabetes in the 1 to 19 year age groups had about a 10-year reduction in life expectancy. This is likely underestimation, as studies in the United States showed that having type 1 diabetes reduced the life expectancy by about 15 years.