Abstract
Patients with type 2 diabetes have a
three-fold increased risk of developing vascular disease with death in
75% due to a vascular
complication. Large prospective studies have
demonstrated the benefits of treating patients with type 2 diabetes to
strict
targets regarding blood pressure (BP), lipids
and glucose. Using both American Diabetes Association and Joint British
Societies/Guidelines
we assessed the effectiveness of this
`treat-to-target' policy in diabetic patients attending secondary care.
Of 321 patient
notes analysed 54—87% were within target for
total cholesterol, 80—84% for LDL cholesterol, 77% for HDL cholesterol,
51% for
triglycerides, 44—61% for systolic BP, 62% for
diastolic BP and 30—44% for HbA1C. In the secondary care setting we are
performing
well for lipids, less well for BP and poorly for
HbA1C.