[Longevity in patients manifesting diabetes in 1962/1963 in the Neustrelitz district in relation to body weight].

Out of 147 of the 166 diabetics detected in the District of Neustrelitz in 1962/1963 (drop-out rate 11.45%) after 22 years lived still 14.3%. In comparison to an age and sex-adapted normal population the further life expectancy of the in the meantime decreased patients was on an average diminished by 6.2 years in the male sex and by 7.0 years in the female sex. In contrast to the expectance diabetics who were obese at manifestation concerning their mean age of death scarcely differed from patients with primarily normal weight (73.2 or 74.1 years) so that the predictive value of the initial body weight is insignificant with regard to the long-term prognosis. 65.1% of the diabetics died from diseases of the circulatory system, only 6.35% died of malignant neoformations. Only in 4.76% the diabetes itself was the actual cause of death.