Cardiometabolic & kidneyCohort study
Diabetes and sudden cardiac death: a Danish nationwide study
- Nationwide cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Individuals with diabetes displayed consistently elevated incidence rates of SCD across age groups. Further, the elevated risk of SCD in individuals with diabetes diminished with increasing age. For both T1D and T2D, SCD was an important contributing factor to shortened life expectancy.
Study context
- Population
- Entire Danish population in 20106,862 sudden cardiac death (SCD) cases
- Exposure
- T1D and T2D vs general population
- Outcome
- Incidence rates of SCD and loss of life expectancy attributable to SCD
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
SCD incidence rate
| Group | Value | SCD incidence rate vs general population |
|---|---|---|
| T1D | 97 events | 3.7 times higher |
| T2D | 1149 events | 6.5 times higher |
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | T1D | T2D | General population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life-years lost | mean 14.2 years | mean 7.9 years | |
| Reduced life expectancy attributed to SCD | 3.4 years | 2.7 years | Not reported in the abstract |
Original publication
Diabetes and sudden cardiac death: a Danish nationwide study. Eur Heart J. Published 4 December 2025. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf826
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it