(03-01-07) Stroke risk doubled in type 2 diabetes

The incidence of stroke among patients with type 2 diabetes is more than twice that of patients without diabetes, according to the results of a large UK study of primary care data.
A team of researchers from centres in the UK, New Zealand, Netherlands, and Ireland, analyzed data from the UK?s General Practice Research Database. They identified all patients in the database aged 35-89 years with type 2 diabetes at 1 January 1992 (n = 41,799), and for each patient also identified five age- and sex-matched comparison subjects without diabetes (n = 202,733). The database was then searched for cases of stroke occurring between January 1992 and October 1999, and for information about comorbidities and lifestyle factors.
Overall, the absolute rate of stroke was 11.9 cases per 1,000 person-years for people with type 2 diabetes, and 5.6 per 1,000 person-years in the comparison group. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in 28-day post-stroke mortality (which was 34-36%).
The age-adjusted hazard ratio for stroke in type 2 diabetes versus no diabetes was 2.19 in men (95% confidence interval 2.09-2.32) and 2.32 in women (95% confidence interval 2.16-2.49). Subgroup analyses revealed that the greatest relative increase in stroke risk associated with type 2 diabetes was in young women, aged 35-54 years, who were found to have a hazard ratio for stroke of 8.18 compared with non-diabetic women (95% confidence interval 4.31-15.51).
The researchers said the study demonstrated the significant excess risk of stroke in an unselected population of patients with type 2 diabetes, compared with non-diabetic patients. They said the findings ?highlight the need for early detection of diabetes particularly in young women.?

Source: International Diabetes Federation (IDF) 19th World Diabetes Congress, Cape Town, South Africa, 3-7 December 2006, presentation number P511.

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