Changing pattern of cardiovascular risk with duration of Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background: Diabetes Mellitus is a common chronic endocrine disorder of insulin secretion or function resulting in the disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism characterised by hyperglycemia. Cardiovascular complications are the most important cause of morbidity and mortality.
Objectives: To assess the pattern of cardiovascular risk among diabetic patients enrolling for the first care at the specialist clinic, and also determined the effects of the duration of DM on cardiovascular risk.
Method: One hundred and fourteen asymptomatic people living with diabetes mellitus were evaluated considering time at first diagnosis of DM irrespective of the initial care given. Cardiovascular risk factors were compared in two groups based on the median year duration of DM. A further 6 sub-grouping was done to look at pattern of increase of the different CVD risk factors.
Results: duration of DM range from 1-30 years, median of 5 years and modal of 1 year. There was a difference in the means of all CVD risk factors when subjected were divided into two groups based on the median age. Further sub-groupings of duration of DM showed significant differences in LVM, uric acid and creatinine.
Conclusions: cardiovascular risk no doubt increases as the duration of DM increases and more significantly on the heart and the kidney.

Key words; diabetes duration, first specialist clinic visit, cardiovascular risk