title: Cardiovascular risk factor control among diabetic patients attending community-based diabetic care clinics in Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the extent to which hyperglycemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemia are currently detected, treated, and controlled in diabetic patients attending a network of urban community-based diabetic care clinics in Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population included 1078 consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (47% women, mean age 67.6+/-9.8 years) visited at eight diabetic care clinics between 1 and 30 of November 2004. Values of glycosilated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and cholesterol subfractions, as well as clinical and medication data, were prospectively collected in all cases in a computerized database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite a high prevalence of hypertension (66.6%), only 29.6% of patients met the treatment goal of a systolic blood pressure <130 mmHg, while a diastolic blood pressure <80 mmHg was reached by 38.6% of the study cohort. Optimal LDL cholesterol values (<100mg/dl) were present in just 25.5% of cases. Values of glycosilated hemoglobin <7% were present in 57.8% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that adherence to current guidelines for cardiovascular prevention and cardiovascular risk factor control represent an exception in diabetic patients attending community-based diabetic care clinics. Major efforts are required to improve the quality of health care currently delivered to diabetic patients.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Department, S. Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy. furcol@rdn.it
authors.forename: Furio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Colivicchi
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uguccioni
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ragonese
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nardozi
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Angotti
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Principe
authors.forename: Sandro Lo
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D049628:Body Size; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D018579:Patient Selection; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors