Prevalence of chronic complications, metabolic control and nutritional intake in type 1 diabetes: comparison between different European regions. EURODIAB Complications Study group.

This study compares the prevalence of chronic complications, the quality of metabolic control and the nutritional intake in people with type 1 diabetes in different European regions. The EURODIAB Complications Study included a sample of 3250 European patients with type 1 diabetes stratified for gender, age and diabetes duration. All examinations were performed using standardised, validated methods. HBA1c, LDL-cholesterol and fasting triglycerides were higher in the eastern European centres than in the southern or north-western European centres. Acute (severe ketoacidosis, severe hypoglycaemia) and chronic diabetes complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, cardiovascular disease) were all considerably more frequent in the eastern European centres. HbA1c was lower in the German centres than in the total EURODIAB cohort or in the north-western European centres, but severe hypoglycaemia and proliferative retinopathy were more common. Persons from the eastern European and the German centres consumed undesirably high amounts of cholesterol, total and saturated fat. Overall, improvements in the prevention, detection and management of diabetes complications in persons with type 1 diabetes are essential throughout Europe, particularly in eastern European regions. Since elevated LDL-cholesterol levels and hypertension were strikingly common in this relatively young cohort of European people with type 1 diabetes, generally more attention should be directed towards an adequate management of these cardiovascular risk factors.