On the epidemiologically defined number of all diabetics who were detected in the district of Erfurt in 1966 the prognosis with medium time limit was investigated retrospectively. The 2,500 patients (1,650 females, 910 males) correspond above all to type 2 of diabetes. According to the observation time of 10 years altogether died 1,054 patients (44.3%), 63.4% of cardiovascular causes of death (autopsy rate 20.9%). In all age groups with a sufficient number of subjects the mortality of the males was above the mortality of the females; according to that their median survival time was shorter. In comparison to the total population of the district of Erfurt the diabetics examined showed an aged-depending excess mortality between 1.1 and 1.9. By means of several methods an over-mortality could be proved already for the first year after the manifestation. The worse prognosis of the diabetics type 2 is interpreted as a consequence of an increased cardiovascular comorbidity, the causes of which have to be found in the complex action of atherogenic risk factors in the time before the manifestation of diabetes.