Associations of disability with incidence of heart disease in people with diabetes

Abstract This study investigated associations of disability, including its severity and type, with incidence of heart disease in people with diabetes. Korean National Health Insurance data from 2009 to 2019 were used. This study sampled 50% of people with disability registered in 2009 and 2010 and matched them 1:1 by sex and age to obtain a control group. A longitudinal analysis was conducted to examine the incidence of heart disease by disability, including its severity and type, in 17,338 diabetics from 2010 to 2019. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Hazard ratio of disability for the incidence of heart disease in those with diabetes was statistically significantly increased in all adjusted models. By disability severity, it was higher in both mild and severe groups than in the non-disabled group. It was much higher in the severe group. By disability type, the hazard ratio for the incidence of heart disease was significantly increased in those with mobility, communication disability, and those classified as others, but not in those with a mental disability. In conclusion, disability was associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease among people with diabetes.