Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk Categories and Achievement of Therapeutic Targets in European Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Background: Individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are more prone to experiencing severe cardiovascular (CV) events, often occurring at a younger age, due to a complex interplay of risk factors. T2DM diagnosis inherently classifies patients as belonging to a higher CV risk group. In light of the increased susceptibility to severe CV outcomes, our study aims to assess the distribution of CV risk categories and the attainment of therapeutic targets among Romanian patients diagnosed with T2DM. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed, including 885 patients diagnosed with T2DM who were consecutively admitted to a secondary care hospital unit between January and July 2019. Data collection included demographics, lipid profile, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure (BP), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and medication specifics for T2DM and associated conditions. Patients were stratified into CV risk categories based on the ESC/EAS guidelines, encompassing moderate, high, and very high risk categories. The rationale for selecting these guidelines for CV risk categories was that they were current and provided best practice recommendations for T2DM patients during the cross-sectional evaluation. We assessed therapeutic target achievement rates for LDL-C, HbA1C, and BP for each CV risk category. Additionally, we examined utilization rates of statins and novel cardio- and reno-protective, non-insulin antidiabetic medications. Results: The group’s average age was 62.9 ± 7.7 years and comprised 53.7% females. An average HbA1c level of 7.1 ± 1.3% was observed in the group. Within the cohort, 83% had hypertension, with a mean systolic BP of 132 ± 16.2 mm Hg and mean diastolic BP of 80 ± 9.6 mm Hg. Additionally, 64.6% of patients were obese, with a mean body mass index of 32.3 ± 5.3 kg/m². Mean LDL-C levels varied across the different CV risk categories: 106.6 ± 35.6 mg/dL in the very high risk category, 113 ± 39.3 mg/dL in the high risk category, and 124.3 ± 38.3 mg/dL in the moderate risk category. Most treatment schemes included metformin (87.0%) and statins (67.0%), with variable use rates for other glucose-lowering and CV risk-modifying therapies. The percentage of patients using GLP-1 RAs was 8.1%, while 3.9% used SGLT2 inhibitors. Conclusions: Most Romanian patients with T2DM are at very high or high CV risk. Despite reaching glycemic control targets, most patients are not achieving the composite target, which includes, besides glycemic control, BP values and lipid profile. Many patients with T2DM are not benefiting from DM therapies with additional cardiorenal benefits or statins.