Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) share a bidirectional link, and the innovative antidiabetic molecules GLP-1 Ras and SGLT-2is have proven cardiac and renal benefits, respectively. This study aimed to evaluate CV risk categories, along with lipid-lowering and antidiabetic treatments, in patients with T2DM from a real-life setting in Romania.
Material and methods: A cross-sectional evaluation was conducted on 405 consecutively admitted patients with T2DM in an ambulatory setting, assessing them according to the 2019 ESC/EAS guidelines for moderate, high, and very high CV risk categories.
Results: The average age of the group was 58 ± 9.96 years, with 38.5% being female. The mean HbA1C level was 7.2 ± 1.7%. Comorbidities included HBP in 88.1% of patients, with a mean SBP and DBP of 133.2 ± 13.7 mm Hg and 79.9 ± 9 mm Hg, respectively, and obesity in 66.41%, with a mean BMI of 33 ± 6.33 kg/m2. The mean LDL-C levels varied by CV risk category: 90.1 ± 34.22 mg/dL in very high risk, 98.63 ± 33.26 mg/dL in high risk, and 105 ± 37.1 mg/dL in moderate risk. Prescribed treatments included metformin (100%), statins (77.5%), GLP-1 Ras (29.4%), and SGLT-2is (29.4%).
Conclusions: In Romania, patients with T2DM often achieve glycemic control targets but fail to meet composite targets that include glycemic, BP, and lipid control. Additionally, few patients benefit from innovative glucose-lowering therapies with proven cardio-renal benefits or from statins.
Keywords: LDL-cholesterol; cardio-renal protection; cardiovascular disease; glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists; risk; sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors; statin; type 2 diabetes mellitus.