MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IN MATURITY-ONSET DIABETICS

A retrospective survey of incidents of myocardial infarction and causes of death in 670 maturity-onset female diabetic patients aged forty to seventy-nine years attending a hospital diabetes clinic during 1958-70 is reported. There were changes in treatment of individual patients (determined on clinical criteria) from dietary management alone to oral hypoglycaemic agents or insulin, so the incidence of myocardial infarction has been analysed in terms of patient-years for each form of treatment. There were 1.52 myocardial infarctions per 100 patient-years for dietary treatment alone and 3.06 per 100 patient-years for treatment by diet with oral hypoglycaemic agents.