Abstract: Objective To understand the main causes of death and characteristics of elderly hospitalized patients with diabetes. Methods Reviewing and summarizing 450 cases of elderly patients who died of diabetes and 152 cases of non-elderly hospitalized patients at the same period in 10 General Hospitals. Results The three leading causes of death for elders are cerebrovascular disease, cardiovascular disease and kidney failure, while non-elderly group are ketoacidosis, cerebrovascular disease and cardiovascular disease. The difference between the two groups' cause of death was statistically significant(P=0.000); with the increase of age, tumors combined with infections greatly heightened the mortality rates; male deaths between the elderly and non-elderly group pose no significant difference(P=0.329); for older women, brain death, cardiovascular disease and renal failure, along with other chronic complications are the main causes of death, while women in the non-elderly group mainly have acute complications such as ketoacidosis, the difference was statistically significant(P=0.000); The elderly group hypertension formation rate is higher than the non-elderly group(P=0.000), the elderly group blood fats unusual formation rate is higher than the non-elderly group(P=0.000). Conclusion Prevention of chronic diabetic complications, protection of organ function and effective control of high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, active infection control, attention to women after menopause cardiovascular disease prevention,has a great significance in the reduction of mortality rates for elderly patients with diabetes.

Key words: diabetes mellitus, death causes, senile