Perinatal mortality in Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIMS: In many parts of the world the number of pregnancies in women with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) now exceeds that in women with Type 1 DM, but there are few data published on perinatal mortality in Type 2 DM. This study reports observational data on perinatal mortality in Type 2 DM from a population with a high background rate of this disorder. METHODS: Over a 12-year period (1985-1997) at the Diabetes Clinic at National Women's Hospital, Auckland, there were 434 pregnancies in women with Type 2 DM (256 known and 178 diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but confirmed to have Type 2 DM early post-partum), 160 pregnancies in women with Type 1 DM and 932 in women with GDM. Perinatal mortality was classified as either intermediate fetal death (20-28 weeks' gestation), late fetal death (28 weeks' gestation to term) or early neonatal death (up to 1 month post-partum). RESULTS: The perinatal mortality in Type 2DM was 46.1/1,000, significantly higher than the rates for the general population (12.5), Type 1 DM (12.5) and GDM (8.9) (P < 0.0001). Congenital malformations accounted for only 10% of the perinatal mortality. There was a seven-fold increase in the rate of late fetal death and 2.5-fold increase in the rates of intermediate fetal and late neonatal death. Subjects with Type 2 DM were significantly older and more obese than subjects with Type 1 DM, and presented later to the diabetes service. CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal mortality in Type 2 DM is significantly increased, mainly owing to an excess of late fetal death. Maternal factors such as obesity may be important contributors to the high perinatal mortality. Women diagnosed with GDM who have unrecognized Type 2 DM are also at high risk, but perinatal mortality is low in women with milder degrees of glucose intolerance in pregnancy.     

Effects of short-term treatment with metformin on serum concentrations of homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: Metformin is a key treatment option in type 2 diabetes. However, metformin may decrease vitamin B12 levels and increase levels of homocysteine, a cardiovascular risk factor. We investigated whether 16 weeks of treatment with metformin affects serum concentrations of homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 in subjects with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin. DESIGN: Placebo-controlled, randomized trial. Measurements: at baseline and 16 weeks later. SETTING: This trial was conducted in the outpatient clinics of three general hospitals in The Netherlands. SUBJECTS: A total of 745 patients with type 2 diabetes, treated with insulin and not known with a contraindication for the use of metformin, were approached; 390 gave informed consent and entered the study. Thirty-seven subjects dropped out (12 placebo and 25 metformin users). INTERVENTION: Addition of metformin or placebo to insulin therapy. PRIMARY OUTCOME PARAMETERS: Serum homocysteine, folate, vitamin B12, indices of glycaemic control and body weight. RESULTS: Amongst those who completed 16 weeks of treatment, metformin use, as compared with placebo, was associated with an increase in homocysteine of 4% (0.2 to 8; P=0.039) and with decreases in folate [-7% (-1.4 to -13); P=0.024] and vitamin B12 [-14% (-4.2 to -24); P<0.0001]. In addition, the increase in homocysteine could be explained by the decreases in folate and vitamin B12. CONCLUSION: In patients with type 2 diabetes, 16 weeks of treatment with metformin reduces levels of folate and vitamin B12, which results in a modest increase in homocysteine. The clinical significance of these findings remains to be investigated.     

老年2型糖尿病血浆同型半胱氨酸与糖尿病微血管病变关系研究

目的探讨同型半胱氨酸(Hcy)水平在老年2型糖尿病(T2DM)患者合并微血管病变时的变化及其与T2DM微血管病变的关系。方法74例老年T2DM患者按有无微血管病变分为T2DMⅠ组(无微血管病变)及T2DMⅡ组(合并微血管病变),用循环酶法测定2组患者的Hcy水平,并与28名健康对照者(对照组)进行比较。结果(1)T2DMⅡ组血Hcy水平明显高于对照组及T2DMⅠ组。T2DMⅡ组高Hcy血症(Hcy>15μmol/L)的发生率为50.0%,较对照组(10.1%)及T2DMⅠ组(23.8%)明显升高(P<0.01)。(2)Hcy升高的T2DM患者中尿微量白蛋白排泄率(UAER)、肌酐(Cr)及糖尿病肾病(DN)的发生率高于Hcy正常的T2DM患者(P<0.01)。(3)多因素回归分析提示血Hcy水平与T2DM微血管病变有关(P<0.01,OR=1.055)。结论Hcy与老年T2DM微血管病变有关,可能是T2DM微血管病变发生发展的危险因素之一。     

Apolipoprotein (a) levels in type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus are both characterized by increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Since several reports have indicated that apolipoprotein (a) [apo (a)] levels are positively associated with an increased risk of macrovascular disease, we investigated whether apo (a) levels are elevated in both types of diabetes mellitus and may thus represent an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic disease. Apo(a) concentrations in type 1 diabetic patients were not significantly different from matched controls (276±78 vs 149±46 units/l). Type 2 diabetic patients had considerably higher levels of apo (a) than matched controls (471±89 vs 221±61 units/l,P=0.06), though the difference was not statistically significant. However, concentrations of apo (a) were above 300 units/l in 36% of type 1 and 67% of type 2 diabetic patients, but in only 14% and 25% respectively of matched control subjects. Plasma triglycerides were positively and independently correlated with apo (a) levels in both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. On the other hand, no significant correlation was found between apo (a) levels and glycosylated haemoglobin, total cholesterol or high density lipoprotein cholesterol in any of the groups studied. In conclusion, apo (a) levels are not significantly elevated either in type 1 or type 2 diabetic patients without proteinuria and in moderate metabolic control; however, levels above 300 units/l were 2.6 times more frequent in both types of diabetes mellitus than in carefully age-, sex-, and weight-matched control subjects.     

Apolipoprotein B as a long-term predictor of mortality in type 1 diabetes mellitus: a 15-year follow up

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association of apolipoprotein B (apo B) with mortality due to all causes, to cardiac disease and to ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus. SUBJECTS: 165 subjects with type 1 diabetes included in the Swiss Cohort of the WHO Multinational Study of Vascular Disease in Diabetes were followed for 14.7+/-0.45 years. METHODS: Causes of death were obtained from death certificates, hospital records and postmortem reports. Using a parametric proportional hazards model the association of apo B with mortality rates was assessed by time-to-event analysis, including the absolute cumulative mortality risk over time for various apo B levels at baseline. RESULTS: Apo B was positively associated with all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 2.65 per g L-1 increase of apo B, 95% CI: 1.11-6.36, P=0.029], cardiac mortality (HR 11.64, 1.03-131.11, P=0.047) and IHD mortality (HR 9.36, 1.26-69.66, P=0.029). An apo B>or=0.96 g L-1 translated into a duplication of overall mortality hazard (HR 1.93, 1.00-3.72, P=0.050), and a sevenfold increase of mortality because of cardiac disease or IHD (HR 7.44, 1.44-38.42, P=0.017 and HR 7.38, 0.78-69.82, P=0.081). A baseline apo B of 1.5 g L-1 predicted an absolute cumulative risk to die over the next 10 years of 12.1% (5.2-31.7) for male and of 10.4% (4.7-26.1) for female subjects whereas risks were 6.3% (1.8-21.4) and 5.4% (0.8-15.8) for an apo B of 0.8 g L-1. CONCLUSION: Apo B is consistently associated with an increased mortality in type 1 diabetes.     

Lipids and lipoprotein(a) concentrations in Pakistani patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

AIM: The aim of the present study was to analyze serum lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels in Pakistani patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and to find correlations between clinical characteristics and dyslipidaemias in these patients. METHODS: Fasting blood samples were analyzed for Lp(a), total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in 68 Pakistani patients with type 2 DM and 40 non-diabetic healthy control subjects. RESULTS: Lp(a) levels were significantly raised in diabetics as compared to the control group. No correlation of Lp(a) was seen with age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and fasting glucose. There was a positive correlation of BMI to SBP and DBP. There was a significant positive correlation between Lp(a) and total cholesterol and LDL-c. No correlation of Lp(a) was observed with HDL-c, triglycerides and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c). CONCLUSION: The present study led us to conclude that serum Lp(a) levels are significantly raised in type 2 DM and have a positive correlation with serum total and LDL-c levels.     

Social deprivation and mortality in adults with diabetes mellitus

To investigate the relationship between measures of social deprivation and mortality in adults with diabetes, data from 2104 randomly selected adults (>16 years of age) with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus from 8 hospital out-patient departments were analysed. A total of 38 % of subjects had Type 1 (diagnosed before the age of 36 years and treated with insulin), 55 % were male and 85 % Caucasian. During a follow-up period (mean (SD) of 8.4 (0.9) years), 293 (14 %) of the subjects died, the most commonly recorded cause of death being cardiovascular disease. Duration adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated separately for Type 1 and Type 2 subjects. The mortality rates for men were higher than for women (Type 1: OR 1.27, CI 0.61–2.62; Type 2: OR 1.79, CI 1.27–2.52); were higher for those of lower vs higher social class (Type 1: OR 1.34, CI 0.61–2.96; Type 2: OR 2.0, CI 1.41–2.85); and were higher for those who left school before 16 years of age compared to those who left school at or after 16 years of age (Type 1: OR 3.98, CI 1.96–8.06; Type 2: OR 2.86, CI 1.93–4.25). Subjects who were unemployed had a higher mortality rate than those employed at the time of the study (Type 1: OR 3.10, CI 1.67–5.79; Type 2: OR 2.88, CI 2.12–3.91) and those living in council housing had a greater mortality than those who were living in other types of housing (Type 1: OR 2.57, CI 1.35–4.91, Type 2: OR 2.76, CI 2.05–3.73). Also for both Type 1 and Type 2 subjects mortality was significantly higher in those subjects who had a least one diabetic complication at baseline and reported one or more hospital admissions in the previous year and in Type 2 subjects with poor glycaemic control. After adjusting for duration of diabetes, hospital admissions, and the presence of diabetic complications, being unemployed, male, in poor glycaemic control (Type 2 only), and less educated were significant risk factors for mortality (p<0.001). These results suggest that there are important indicators of social deprivation which predict mortality over and above diabetic health status itself. Locally targeted action will be required if these inequalities in health experienced by people with diabetes are to be reduced. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lipids,lipoproteins and apolipoproteins in type 1 (insulin-dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus

Summary Total plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, VLDL-C, VLDL-TG, HDL-C and the apoproteins A-I, A-II, B and D were measured in 111 male non-obese diabetic patients and in 90 male control subjects of similar age and body weight distribution. Forty-eight patients had Type 1 (insulin-dependent diabetes) and 63 had Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent diabetes); all were in stable metabolic control while following an appropriate diet and therapy with insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents. HDL-C, apoA-I, apoB and the apoA-I/apoA-II ratio were significantly increased in the Type 1 patients, whereas the VLDL-C/VLDL-TG and LDL-C/apoB ratios were decreased significantly. Type 2 diabetics showed low HDL-C and low apoA-I/apoA-II ratio, while the values of apoA-I, A-II, D and the VLDL-C/VLDL-TG ratio were significantly higher than in controls. Type 1 diabetics in ‘fair’ metabolic control presented higher values of TG, VLDL-C, VLDL-TG and apoB than patients in ‘good’ control: lower values of apoA-I and of the ratios apoA-I/apoA-II, apoA-I/apoB and LDL-C/apoB were recorded in the same subgroup. In Type 2 diabetics no significant differences were observed according to metabolic control, with the exception of a higher apo-D value in subjects in ‘fair’ control. The data obtained support the view that good metabolic control may be important for the prevention of a relevant derangement of lipoprotein components, particularly in Type 1 patients. Partially supported by grant No. 83.02521.56 fromConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Roma, Italy (Progetto Finalizzato di Medicina Preventiva e Riabilitativa).     

High impact of nephropathy on five-year mortality rates among patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus from a multi-ethnic population in New Zealand.

AIMS: Type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications are common among Polynesians in New Zealand. This study investigated the mortality from diabetes among indigenous Maori and recent migrants from the South Pacific. METHODS: Death certificates and other reports were collected to enumerate those who had died in an across-community cohort study of 765 diabetic patients aged 40-79 years in 1991. Five year mortality status was ascertained in 99.7% and death certificates were obtained from 129 (88%) of the 146 who had died. Diabetes was missed from 36% of death certificates. RESULTS: Compared to Europeans with Type 2 diabetes, Maori with Type 2 diabetes were 2.66 (1.63-4.35) fold as likely to die from diabetes-related conditions, including a 13.1 (3.7-46.4) fold greater risk of death from nephropathy. Pacific Islands Polynesians with Type 2 diabetes had a similar mortality to Europeans with Type 2 diabetes (hazards ratio 1.06 (0.68-1.65)). After 6 years, 10.7 (2.2-19.3)% more Maori had died than Pacific Islands Polynesians. CONCLUSIONS: Maori with Type 2 diabetes are dying from diabetic complications, particularly nephropathy, at an alarming rate. The magnitude of the difference between Maori and Pacific Islands Polynesians suggests environmental rather than inherited factors are involved and these need further investigation.     

同型半胱氨酸与糖尿病及心脑血管疾病关系

流行病学资料表明,高同型半胱氨酸血症与糖尿病及心脑血管疾病关系密切;但大型临床试验却显示降低血同型半胱氨酸浓度的治疗对这些疾病无益。文章对已有的资料进行综述,探讨同型半胱氨酸与糖尿病及心脑血管疾病的关系,以期对临床及今后的研究提供线索。     

同型半胱氨酸对老年2型糖尿病患者大血管病变的影响

目的 探讨血清总同型半胱氨酸(tHcy)水平与2型糖尿病(T2DM)患者大血管病变间的关系,并分析影响T2DM患者tHcy代谢的因素. 方法 167例老年T2DM 患者分为2组:无大血管并发症组(75例)和T2DM合并大血管病变组(92例);42例正常体检老人作为正常对照组.酶联免疫吸附法测定血清tHcy浓度;自动生化分析仪测定空腹血糖(FBS)、尿素氮(BUN)、肌酐(CREA)、总胆固醇(TC)和三酰甘油(TG)、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C)、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C)、糖化血红蛋白(HbA1c);电化学发光仪测定血清胰岛素(INS).对各指标的组间差异进行统计学分析. 结果 tHcy在T2DM合并大血管病患者组血浆浓度较T2DM无大血管并发症组和对照组高,差异具有统计学意义(P＜ 0.05),血清Hcy水平仅与空腹INS水平呈正相关(r= 0.56,P＜0.01). 结论 tHcy参与了T2DM大血管病变的发病过程,tHcy水平可能与胰岛素抵抗有关.     

Relationship between blood glucose level and mortality in Type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review

Aim To review the relationship between blood glucose level and mortality in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) as reported in the literature. Methods Literature search using Medline Search: January 1966 – April 1998. Keywords: Diabetes, Non Insulin Dependent, Mortality. Inclusion criteria for papers were: Type 2 DM; follow-up for at least 3 years; glucose or glycated haemoglobin (HbA_1c) was used as parameter; published in the form of an article. Additionally all references in the selected articles that dealt with the relationship between blood glucose level and mortality in Type 2 DM were included in the search. Results Twenty-seven eligible articles were found. Twenty-three of them showed a positive association: measures of elevated blood glucose concentrations were associated with higher mortality; in 15 out of 23 studies the positive association was statistically significant, in two only for postprandial blood glucose. One study found a nonsignificant negative relationship in a very old population. Conclusion In the literature there is a positive, but rather weak, association between the measures of blood glucose control and the risk of dying of patients with Type 2 DM. In the six larger studies (more than 100 deceased patients) that used a continuous categorization of glycaemia, the Risk ratio per unit varies from 1.03 to 1.12. Diabet. Med. 16, 2–13 (1999)     

Trends in mortality rates for death-certificate-coded diabetes mellitus in an English population 1979-99.

AIMS: Mortality statistics have customarily been coded and analysed using only one underlying cause of death. Rules for selecting the underlying cause, when more than one cause is certified on a death certificate, have changed twice in England over the past 20 years. We used data from death certificates for 1979-99 to compare mortality rates for diabetes mellitus certified anywhere on death certificates with those certified as the underlying cause. METHODS: Analysis of data from 18,917 death certificates that included diabetes mellitus in the former Oxford health region. RESULTS: Based on the underlying cause of death, mortality rates for diabetes varied substantially between the periods defined by rule changes. Based on mentions of diabetes anywhere on the death record, mortality rates were almost unchanged over time: they showed a non-significant rise of 0.1% per year (95% confidence interval -0.3, 0.6). Circulatory diseases were certified causes of death in 71% of all deaths in people with diabetes. Although mortality rates from circulatory diseases in the general population fell by 2.5% per year, rates for circulatory diseases in combination with diabetes did not fall. CONCLUSIONS: Two explanations are possible for the lack of change in mortality rates for diabetes based on all certified mentions between 1979 and 1999. Increasing prevalence and improved survival may have resulted in no net change; and/or there may have been no improvement in survival for people whose diabetes is associated with life-threatening pathology and in particular with circulatory diseases.     

Diabetes foot complications and standardized mortality rate in type 2 diabetes

Aim

To quantify the impact of foot complications on mortality outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and how routinely measured factors might modulate that risk.

Materials and Methods

Data for individuals with T2D for 2010-2020, from the Salford Integrated Care Record (Salford, UK), were extracted for laboratory and clinical data, and deaths. Annual expected deaths were taken from Office of National Statistics mortality data. An index of multiple deprivation (IMD) adjusted the standardized mortality ratio (SMR_IMD). Life years lost per death (LYLD) was estimated from the difference between expected and actual deaths.

Results

A total of 11 806 T2D patients were included, with 5583 new diagnoses and 3921 deaths during 2010-2020. The number of expected deaths was 2135; after IMD adjustment, there were 2595 expected deaths. Therefore, excess deaths numbered 1326 (SMR_IMD 1.51). No foot complications were evident in n = 9857. This group had an SMR_IMD of 1.13 and 2.74 LYLD. In total, 2979 patients had any foot complication recorded. In this group, the SMD_IMR was 2.29; of these, 2555 (75%) had only one foot complication. Patients with a foot complication showed little difference in percentage HbA1c more than 58 mmol/mol. In multivariate analysis, for those with a foot complication and an albumin-to-creatinine ratio of more than 3 mg/mmol, the odds ratio (OR) for death was 1.93, and for an estimated glomerular filtration rate of less than 60 mL/min/1.73m², the OR for death was 1.92.

Conclusions

Patients with T2D but without a foot complication have an SMR_IMD that is only slightly higher than that of the general population. Those diagnosed with a foot complication have a mortality risk that is double that of those without T2D.     

Open versus laparoscopic cholecystectomies in patients with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus in Spain from 2003 to 2013

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the rates of open and laparoscopic cholecystectomies and outcomes in patients with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Spain from 2003 to 2013.
METHODS: We collected all cases of open and laparoscopic cholecystectomies using national hospital discharge data and evaluated the annual cholecystectomy rates stratiifed by T2DM status. We analyzed tendency for in-hospital mortality (IHM). We also analyzed the impact of T2DM on IHM in patients who underwent cholecystectomies.
RESULTS: We identiifed 611 533 cholecystectomies (71.3%laparoscopic) in the patients, in whom 78 227 (12.8%) patients had T2DM. The rates of open cholecystectomies were 3-fold higher (130.0/105 vs 41.1/105) in patients with T2DM than in those without T2DM, and the rate of laparoscopic cholecys-tectomies was almost 2-fold higher (195.2/105 vs 111.8/105) in patients with T2DM. The annual rate of laparoscopic pro-cedures showed an 11-year relative increase of 88.3% (from 117.0/105 to 220.3/105) in T2DM and 49.2% (from 79.2/105 to 118.2/105) in patients without T2DM (P<0.001), whereas the rate of open procedures showed an 11-year relative decrease of 27.6% in patients with T2DM and 37.9% in those without T2DM (P<0.001). The rate of emergency laparoscopic cho-lecystectomy was increased in the 11 years, whereas the rate of emergency open cholecystectomies was decreased (both P<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that older age, higher comorbidity and emergency cholecystectomy were associated with a higher IHM. Compared with patients without T2DM, patients with T2DM demonstrated a lower IHM after open cholecystectomy [OR=0.82 (0.78-0.87)], but a higher IHM after laparoscopic cholecystectomy [OR=1.18 (1.03-1.35)]. Time-trend analyses showed a signiifcant reduction in IHM in patients with or without T2DM after the two procedures.
CONCLUSION: The rate of cholecystectomy was higher in patients with T2DM, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy was popularized in the past 11 years both in selective and emer-gency cholecystectomies.     

Homocysteine levels are not associated with cardiovascular autonomic function in elderly Caucasian subjects without or with type 2 diabetes mellitus: the Hoorn Study

OBJECTIVE: Homocysteine and cardiovascular autonomic function are both predictors of cardiovascular disease and death, particularly in patients with diabetes. The mechanism by which homocysteine causes disease is unknown. The objective of our study was to determine whether hyperhomocysteinaemia is associated with impaired cardiovascular autonomic function in an age-, sex-, and glucose tolerance-stratified sample of an elderly Caucasian population. METHODS: We studied 609 subjects, 252 with normal glucose metabolism, 173 with impaired glucose metabolism, and 184 with type 2 diabetes. Cardiac cycle duration (RR interval) and continuous finger arterial pressure were measured under three conditions: during (i) spontaneous breathing, (ii) six deep breaths over 1 min, and (iii) an active change in position from lying to standing. From these readings, 10 parameters of autonomic function were assessed (three Ewing tests, six heart rate variability tests and one test of baroreflex sensitivity). These 10 measurements were summarized in a single cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction score (CADS). RESULTS: Comparing values of autonomic function measures in the lowest versus the highest quartile of homocysteine revealed no significant association between homocysteine level and autonomic function in the whole study group, nor in the individual glucose tolerance groups. Multiple adjustment for age, sex, waist-to-hip ratio, serum creatinine, use of antihypertensives and fasting insulin, confirmed this result. We found no evidence of effect modification of glucose tolerance status on the association between homocysteine and autonomic dysfunction (P for interaction for CADS = 0.79). CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence for an association between homocysteine levels and cardiovascular autonomic function in either diabetic or nondiabetic subjects. Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction does not help explain why hyperhomocysteinaemia is related to cardiovascular mortality.     

IDF and ATP-III definitions of metabolic syndrome in the prediction of all-cause mortality in type 2 diabetic patients

AIM: The metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recently, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) proposed to lower diagnostic thresholds for fasting glucose and waist circumference and to limit the diagnosis of MS only to subjects with abdominal adiposity. The aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic value of IDF criteria in diabetic patients, in comparison with previous ATP-III criteria. METHODS: An observational cohort study was performed on a consecutive series of 882 Caucasian type 2 diabetic outpatients, aged 65.3 +/- 10.9 years, with a duration of diabetes of 13.1 +/- 10.6 years. Information on 3-year all-cause mortality was obtained by the City of Florence Registry Office. RESULTS: The prevalence of MS was 68.4 and 73.7% using ATP-III and IDF criteria, respectively. Over the follow-up period, 115 (13.6%) deaths were recorded. Patients with ATP-III-defined MS showed a significantly higher mortality rate when compared with the rest of the sample (16.1% vs. 8.2%; p = 0.002), whereas a non-significant trend was observed using IDF classification (14.9% vs. 10.0%, p = 0.064). At Cox regression analysis, after adjustment for sex, age, and its individual components, diagnosis of MS with ATP-III criteria, but not with IDF criteria [OR (95% CI) 1.65 (0.99-2.72), p = 0.053], was significantly associated with higher mortality [OR (95%,CI) 2.38 [1.18-4.76]). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, in Caucasian type 2 diabetic patients the application of IDF criteria determines an increase of estimated prevalence of MS, without improving its prognostic value. Further studies are needed before the newer IDF criteria for MS are adopted on a larger scale.