Cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetic patients in Bulgaria.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with an excessively high morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. Macrovascular disease with its complications is the leading cause of death in Bulgaria.


OBJECTIVE
To examine cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes.


METHODS
The study included 556 patients with type 2 diabetes and 575 healthy subjects. All participants filled a questionnaire on medical history, lifestyle and family history and standardised measurements were taken of some of their anthropometric parameters and blood pressure. Venous blood was drawn after an overnight fast for the examination of glucose, lipids, C-reactive protein and other cardiovascular risk factors.


RESULTS
Seventy-eight percent of the diabetic subjects had a history of coronary heart disease. The diabetics had significantly higher body mass index (27.1 +/- 4.4 kg/m2 vs. 25.0 +/- 3.8 kg/m2; mean +/- SD), waist circumference (101 +/- 10.2 vs. 87 +/- 8), systolic (131 +/- 12 mm Hg vs. 123 +/- 11) and diastolic blood pressure (85 +/- 9 mm Hg vs. 78 +/- 7), blood glucose (8.4 +/- 2.3 mmol/l vs. 5.4 +/- 0.7), total cholesterol (5.8 +/- 0.78 mmol/l vs. 4.9 +/- 1.0), triglycerides (2.18 +/- 1.02 mmol/l vs. 0.98 +/- 0.60) and C-reactive protein (5.2 +/- 3.9 vs. 3.7 +/- 3.1 mg/l) as well as significantly lower levels of HDL-cholesterol (0.96 +/- 0.28 mmol/l vs. 1.45 +/- 0.47) vs. controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrates that patients with type 2 diabetes in Bulgaria have significantly increased levels of cardiovascular risk factors, which could explain the excessive cardiovascular mortality of these patients.
Kurktschiev
Dimo P
DP
Medicobiological Centre, International Scientific Institute, National Sports University, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Vladimirova-Kitova
Lyudmila G
LG
Todorova
Boryana R
BR
Kaikkonen
J
J
Temelkova-Kurktschiev
Teodora S
TS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002031:Bulgaria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D014280:Triglycerides; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol