Correlates of the Incidence of Disability and Mortality among Older Adult Brazilians with and without Diabetes Mellitus and Stroke

Flavia Andrade, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Pilar Guevara, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Maria Lebrao, Universidade de São Paulo
Yeda Duarte, Universidade de São Paulo

The combined effect of diabetes and stroke on disability and mortality remains largely unexplored in Latin America. To address this gap, we use two waves of the Brazilian Survey on Health and Well-being of the Elderly (SABE) (n=2,143). Disability was assessed via measures of activities of daily living (ADL) limitations and ADL assistance. By itself, the presence of diabetes did not increase the risk of disability, but it increased mortality. Individuals who had experienced stroke but not diabetes were 3.4 times more likely to have ADL limitations; this risk more than doubled for those suffering from a combination of diabetes and stroke. Older adults who had experienced a stroke had higher incidence of limitations, lower recovery and higher mortality. These risks were higher for those who also had diabetes. Results highlight the need for specialized health programs to assist a growing population of diabetic patients recovering from a stroke.