Cardiovascular risk profiles in Type 2 diabetes and the impact of geographical setting

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is a leading morbidity and mortality in Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Previous studies have shown geographic differences in the prevalence of CV and renal diseases. A literature review of longitudinal (≥5 years) studies including ≥1000 T2DM patients and reporting CV endpoints was performed to compare risk profiles. Key differences between geographies included a relatively higher prevalence of microalbuminuria in East Asian relative to North American and European patients, which in turn is an important CV risk factor. Patients from East Asia also have a relatively higher incidence of stroke and lower incidence of coronary heart disease. Overall, there are differences in CV risk in T2DM patients between different regions and that long-term studies from Africa, the Middle East and Latin America are lacking.