Diabetes Linked to Increased Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death

MONDAY, Dec. 8, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) have increased incidence rates of sudden cardiac death (SCD) compared with the general population, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in the European Heart Journal.Tobias Skjelbred, M.D., from Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues estimated the incidence rates of SCD among individuals with T1D and T2D using data from the entire Danish population in 2010.A total of 6,862 SCD cases were identified: 97 and 1,149 were diagnosed with T1D and T2D, respectively. The researchers found that compared with the general population, the incidence rates of SCD were 3.7 and 6.5 times higher for T1D and T2D, respectively. Both T1D and T2D were independently associated with SCD after multivariable adjustment. Younger individuals with diabetes had the greatest risk difference. On average, life-years lost were 14.2 and 7.9 years shorter for patients with T1D and T2D, respectively. For T1D and T2D, a reduced life expectancy of 3.4 and 2.7 years, respectively, was attributable to SCD."This is an observational study, meaning that we can see a link between diabetes and sudden cardiac death, but we cannot prove that one causes the other," Skjelbred said in a statement. "Sudden cardiac death is challenging to predict and prevent, but these findings reinforce the importance for people with diabetes to work with their clinicians to reduce cardiovascular risk."Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.Abstract/Full TextEditorial.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Diabetes Linked to Increased Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death

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