Cardiovascular risk Factors in patients with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes

Patients with type 2 diabetes are at high risk for coronary heart disease and have a worse prognosis than patients who do not have diabetes. The high prevalence of cardiovascular disease in those patients are related to risk factors. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients.

In this Cross- sectional study, conducted between 2001-2003, 710 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients, referring to the Isfahan endocrine and metabolism research center, were studied. Patients were evaluated for age, height, weight, smoking, hypertension, Fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, urea, creatinin, plasma lipid and lipoproteins and albuminuria.

Mean age was 48.8±9.8 years at presentation, and BMI 28.6±4.5 kg/m2. Prevalences of obesity, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia were 34.6%, 28.6%, 77.2% and 71.6% respectively. 78.6%of patients had high LDL-C (higher than100mg/dl), and 52.9% low HDL-C (lower than40 mg/dl). 74.2%of patients had more than two cardiovascular risk factors (64.3% of men and 80.9% of women) and 48.1% over three (32.8% of men and 58.5% of women).

The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors is common in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients, demonstrating the importance of early interventions for proper diagnosis and treatment of these factors in such patients.