Diabetes in an elderly population: a controlled study of morbidity and outcomes.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine in an elderly diabetic population the frequency of vascular and related disorders, the mortality, and outcomes compared with a matched control group. The study was carried out in The Queen Elizabeth Geriatric Centre, Ballarat, Victoria. The medical records of all diabetics admitted between 1982 and 1987 inclusive, and a control group matched for age, sex and ward of admission were studied retrospectively. The presence of associated conditions and outcome parameters were entered in to a database and analysed statistically. Results showed an increased prevalence in individuals with diabetes of ischaemic heart disease (2.0:1.0), cerebrovascular accident (1.9:1.0) and hypertension (1.5:1.0). Similar death rate, cumulative bed days, discharge destination and use of discharge services. Despite the more frequent presence of clinical vascular disease, an elderly population with diabetes had the same outcomes as matched controls and did not require more bed occupancy or use of community based services. Royce Baxter was awarded the 1991 Francis Hardy Faulding Memorial Research Award for this paper.