The Prevalence and Range of Major Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Iranian Diabetic Adults

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in most countries. Diabetic patients have a greater risk for CVDs. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and range of major CVD risk factors among diabetic patients receiving preventive and curative treatment at a diabetes clinic of Shariati Hospital based on gender and age. Four hundred eighteen diabetic participants aged 30-74 years old entered this cross-sectional study. Information about smoking habits, blood pressure, presence/absence of being under hypertension treatment, and lipid profiles was collected from each patient's medical record and SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis. The mean age of participants was 59.8 years. Smoking prevalence was 4.3%. Mean blood pressure was 121.5/79.2 mmHg. Mean total cholesterol was 152.2 mg/dl, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) was 83.1 mg/dl, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C) was 45.4 mg/dl, and non-HDL cholesterol was 106.7 mg/dl. The prevalence of normal LDL-C was 87.3% and 77.4% in men and women, respectively (P = 0.01). Women had abnormal HDL-C levels more frequently than men (60.3% vs. 45.2%, P = 0.002). Most non-HDL levels were in normal spectrum (90.4% of males vs. 79.8% of females, P = 0.04). In individuals older than 65 years, normal values were more than abnormal ones except for females' HDL-C. The results showed that most of the patients had normal ranges for CVD risk factors and more attention for HDL control is needed. Multiple supplementary prospective studies must have been done to investigate the exact situation of risk factors' range among diabetic patients that receive preventive and curative treatment for CVD reduction.