The Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Delma Island: A Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
Background
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with diabetes. This study aimed to assess the pattern of CVD risk factors and the prevalence of CVD among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on Delma Island, United Arab Emirates.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted at Delma Hospital from January 2024 to January 2025. Data were collected from all patients with T2DM who attended the internal medicine clinic. Adults (≥18 years) with confirmed T2DM and complete medical records were included. Exclusion criteria were type 1 diabetes, pregnancy, and incomplete medical records. The collected data included demographics, blood pressure, lipid profile, glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c ), smoking history, physical activity, and documented CVD. CVD diagnoses were confirmed using objective clinical criteria. Glycemic control was classified using the American Diabetes Association 2024/2025 criteria as good (<7%), moderate (7–8%), or poor (>8%). Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 26, with statistical significance set at p<0.05.
Results
Among 249 patients with T2DM (mean age 53.99±10.65 years), 71.9% had hypertension and 20.9% had confirmed CVD. Physical inactivity was present in 86.3%. Although 65.1% had low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol <2.6 mmol/L, current guidelines recommend LDL cholesterol <1.8 mmol/L for patients at high risk and <1.4 mmol/L for those at very high risk, suggesting that lipid control may have been suboptimal. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was <1 mmol/L in 32.9%. Good glycemic control (HbA 1c <7%) was observed in 50.6%, moderate control (HbA 1c 7–8%) in 19.3%, and poor control (HbA 1c >8%) in 30.1%. HbA 1c category was significantly associated with triglyceride (p=0.006) and HDL cholesterol (p=0.009) categories, but not with age or smoking history.
Conclusion
The study demonstrates a high burden of CVD risk factors among patients with T2DM on Delma Island, particularly hypertension, dyslipidemia, and physical inactivity. Despite moderate LDL control, current guideline-recommended LDL targets were not met for most high-risk patients. Strengthening lifestyle interventions and optimizing diabetes and lipid management are essential to reduce CVD risk.