Diabetes Care, Vol 17, Issue 3 210-212, Copyright © 1994 by American Diabetes Association
Suicides in men with IDDM
KO Kyvik, EN Stenager, A Green and A Svendsen
Genetic Epidemiologic Research Unit, Odense University, Denmark.
OBJECTIVE--To investigate the occurrence of suicide in men with
insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--A
cohort of all Danish men born between 1949 and 1964 (including 1964) who
were diagnosed with IDDM before age 20 (n = 1,682) was ascertained earlier.
Follow-up from diagnosis to death or 1 January 1991 was based on record
linkage with the Danish Civil Registration System and was supplemented with
information from death certificates obtained from the Danish National
Registry of Deaths. From published vital statistics, cause-specific
standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), adjusted for age and calendar time,
were calculated. RESULTS--Among the 168 deaths recorded during follow-up,
15 took place in connection with the onset of IDDM and have been excluded.
Of the remaining 153 deaths, 12 were officially classified as suicides (SMR
12/7.48 = 1.6, 0.05 < P < 0.1); as for the age-group of 20-24 years,
SMR was 2.98, P < 0.05. Furthermore, all deaths officially classified as
attributable to unknown causes (n = 28) and accidents (n = 22) were
reviewed with respect to unrecognized suicides; as for deaths of unknown
causes, three could be reclassified as probable suicides and two as
possible suicides, whereas one of the deaths caused by accident could be
reclassified as possible suicide. CONCLUSIONS--Young men with IDDM may
confer a higher risk of suicide than expected. Furthermore, suicide may
represent an underestimated cause of death among patients with IDDM.