French medical practice in type 2 diabetes: the need for better control of cardiovascular risk factors

In type 2 diabetes (T2D), to describe treatments to prevent cardiovascular disease, to compare current practice to French guidelines, and to identify factors associated with recommended treatments.

In the Echantillon National Témoin Représentatif des Personnes Diabétiques (ENTRED) study, 10,000 adults treated for diabetes (any type) were randomly selected from the French National Health Insurance System database. Deliveries during the last quarter of 2001 of treatments to prevent cardiovascular disease were extracted. Questionnaires were mailed to these people and their care providers. Final populations included 3324 people with T2D and their 1553 care providers.

Overall, 18% reported coronary heart disease (CHD) and 44% others were classified as having a high cardiovascular risk; 68% received one or more antihypertensive treatment: ACE inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), 44%; diuretic, 35%; calcium channel blocker, 25%; beta-blocker, 24%. Among those receiving antihypertensive treatment, 59% had blood pressure greater than 130/80mmHg. Overall, 42% received a hypolipidaemic treatment: statin, 25%; fibrate, 18%. About half the people with a high cardiovascular risk had LDL cholesterol greater than 1g/L, but only 32% were given a statin. Among people with an abnormal albumin/creatinine ratio (11%), 59% received an ACE inhibitor/ARB. Among those with CHD, 35% received the two treatments recommended in 1999 (beta-blockers and antiplatelet agents); in multivariate analyses, this two-treatment delivery was positively associated with male gender, self-reported hypertension and consulting a cardiologist.

Cardiovascular risk profiles reported by providers in T2D people are high. Despite recent progress, there is a need for major improvement in practices intended to prevent cardiovascular disease in these people, especially in those at greatest CHD risk.