Hospitalizations for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes compared with the nondiabetic population of Tayside, Scotland: A retrospective cohort study of resource use

Objective: To compare the hospitalizations of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes with those of the nondiabetic population of Tayside, Scotland.

Research Design and Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study set in Tayside, Scotland. Study subjects were eligible for inclusion if they lived in Tayside from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1995. The primary end point was hospitalization. Comparisons between people with and without diabetes were assessed using logistic regression modeling.

Results: The fixed population for the year 1995 included 366,849 people registered with a Tayside general practitioner; 7,735 (2.1%) of these had diabetes. Approximately 25% of all study subjects with diabetes had at least one hospital admission, compared with 12% of the nondiabetic population. The length of stay was highest for patients with type 2 diabetes (median of 7 days). People with diabetes accounted for 8.2% of the total bed days and had approximately double the risk of admission. Type 2 diabetic patients had increased risks of myocardial infarction and stroke; both type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients were at increased risk for an endocrine/metabolic admission or renal failure. The risk of ophthalmic admissions, especially for cataract, was much higher in patients with type 1 diabetes compared with the nondiabetic population.

Conclusions: Type 2 diabetes was associated with more frequent and longer admissions compared with the nondiabetic population. This was due to a higher risk of neurological, cardiovascular, renal, and ophthalmic hospitalizations compared with people without diabetes.