Incidence, prevalence and coronary heart disease risk level in known Type 2 diabetes: a sentinel practice network study in the Basque Country, Spain

Abstract

Aims/hypothesis: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, prevalence and coronary heart disease risk in patients with known Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in a Basque Country sentinel practice network study.

Methods: During the year 2000 we did a survey among sentinel practitioners who registered information about previously and newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetic patients older than 24 years of age. We studied 65,651 people attending a primary care service in the Basque Country Health Service-Osakidetza. We collected information about diabetic complications and cardiovascular risk factors and measured the coronary heart disease risk in these patients.

Results: In the year 2000, the standardized cumulative incidence and prevalence of known Type 2 diabetes were 5.0 per 1000 (CI 95%: 4.9-5.1) and 4.6% (CI 95%: 4.5-4.7) respectively. Macroangiopathy was the most frequent complication both in the newly diagnosed (21.6%) and previously known Type 2 diabetic patients (33%). Total cholesterol > or =5.17 mmol/l and LDL cholesterol > or =2.58 mmol/l were found in 75% and 90% of newly diagnosed and 65% and 85% of previously diagnosed Type 2 diabetic patients respectively. Of the Type 2 diabetic patients 42% were obese and 80% had high blood pressure. More than 55% of the men compared with 44% of the women with Type 2 diabetes had high or very high risk of coronary heart disease (p<0.05).

Conclusion/interpretation: We report new epidemiological data on known Type 2 diabetes in the Basque Country. These patients have a high frequency of cardiovascular risk factors causing a high coronary heart disease risk.