Causes of death among adult diabetic patients in Hawler teaching hospital, Erbil, Iraq

Background : Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most challenging diseases of this age. T2DM is responsible for 1.5 million deaths across the world. Objectives : This study aimed to determine the causes of mortality in T2DM patients in one general hospital in Erbil city, Iraq. Materials and Methods: In this cross‑sectional study, medical records of patients who attended Hawler Teaching Hospital between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012, were reviewed retrospectively for eligibility criteria. The patients who were diagnosed with T2DM by an internist or an endocrinologist regardless of sociodemographic characteristics were included in this study. The patients were categorized into two groups as dead and alive. The death of the patients was confirmed by reviewing the death certificate issued by the hospital. Results: The study showed that of the total 1310 patients diagnosed with T2DM, 186 (14.20 %) passed away due to different factors. The study revealed that type 2 diabetic patients were aged > 70 (49.47 %) and 50–70 (39.24 %) years followed by 35–50 (9.67 %) and < 35 years (1.62 %). Most of the T2DM patients had a duration of > 5 years (86.03 %). The most common causes of mortality in T2DM patients were hypertension and its complications (50.0 %) and kidney failure (25.26 %). Some other causes of mortality were sepsis (6.46 %), cancer (5.92 %), respiratory issues (5.92 %), diabetic ketoacidosis (3.22 %), and some other causes (3.22%). Conclusions : The present study showed that a high percentage of the patients died due to T2DM in Erbil. In addition, the most common factor for mortality in these patients was hypertension and its compactions.