The Quebec Cardiovascular Study compared cardiovascular mortality between incident cases of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Men in the study who were free of diabetes and cardiovascular disease at baseline (1974) were followed until 1998. They were divided into four groups: 1- diabetes without cardiovascular disease, 2- first cardiovascular disease without diabetes, 3- both diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and 4- age-matched control group without diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Both men with diabetes (relative risk=3.11, 95% CI: 1.96-4.92) and men with cardiovascular disease (relative risk=4.46, 95% CI: 3.15-6.30) were at increased risk of cardiovascular mortality compared to controls. However, cardiovascular mortality was higher during the first 5 years of follow-up for men with cardiovascular than men with diabetes and no cardiovascular disease. These findings cement the notion that we should take a preventive and optimal management approach to both diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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