[Evaluation of cardiovascular risk according to Framingham criteria in patients with type 2 diabetes]

The aim of our study was to evaluate cardiovascular risk (CR) in type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients according to Framingham criteria and its possible relationship with other risk factors not included in the Framingham score.

We evaluated 333 T2DM outpatients (215 females), aged 56.9+/-9.7 years followed regularly from March 2004 to February 2005 in the Diabetes Unit in our University Hospital. The known diabetes duration was 12 (0-43) years. In order to determinate the risk of death from coronary artery disease (CAD), we applied the Framingham score. Patients were classified in two groups, according to their probability of having a cardiovascular event in ten years: 20%. We intended to establish a correlation between the CR verified in this population and other variables probably related to CR not included on Framingham score.

The CR in ten years was 18.7+/-10.8% in the whole population, being higher in male than female [20% (2-53) vs. 15% (1-27); p<0.001]. Fifty five percent of males and 38.6% of females had a CR>20% according to Framingham score (p=0.003). The CR was related to diabetes duration, triglycerides (TG), creatinine and 2-hour postprandial plasma glucose (2G) levels and abdominal circumference (AC) either according to International Diabetes Federation (p<0.001) or World Health Organization (p=0.003) criteria. In the stepwise multivariate analyses we found an independent and significant correlation of CR with the following variables: gender (male), diabetes duration, plasma creatinine levels, AC and TG (p<0.001).

Our T2DM patients represent a high-risk population for cardiovascular events according to the Framingham score, mainly males. Routine use of Framingham score, which is feasible and noninvasive, could identify such patients and institute precocious and intensive measures in order to reduce their cardiovascular risk.