Diabetes mellitus mortality trends in Chile (1990-2020)

Purpose: To analyze the long-term trends by age and sex of mortality from diabetes mellitus (DM) in Chile, during the years 1990-2020. Material and method: The standardized mortality rate for DM was analyzed, according to age and sex, through the elaboration of a retrospective cohort study. The age-adjusted mortality rate trend was examined, using joinpoint regression analysis to estimate the annual percentage change and to assess its statistical significance. Results: A total of 97,939 deaths were registered between 1990-2020 (49,273 men and 48,666 women) in Chile. The crude mortality rate was slightly higher in men and 60% of deaths occur in people over 80 years of age. The trend analysis showed a statistically significant increase in annual percentage change of 3.16% until 2002 and then a constant decrease of -1.25% per year. In the analysis by sex, in men there was an increase in annual percentage change of 0.99% per year, while in women there was a decrease of -0.92% per year. Conclusions: Mortality from DM has sustained a constant decrease since 2002. However, when the data is analyzed by sex, men have a higher mortality rate with and upwards trend throughout the years studied. It is important to carry out a study of other variables that might explain these results, in order to reach a conclusion that could impact on the outcomes of patients with DM.