[Description of type 2 diabetes mellitus in residents of Ile-de-France aged at most 70 years].

Our study of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus residing in the Paris area (Ile-de-France) aged 70 years or younger included 1 591 patients examined by national health insurance expert physicians who also filled out a self-administrated questionnaire. Their primary care physicians also answered a questionnaire (79% participation, indicating their personal implication). We found that diabetes was most often discovered during regular check-ups. Single-drug regimens were the most widely used. Sulfamides were prescribed for 77% of the patients. Among the 912 patients who were overweight (BMI > 28 Kg/m2), 34.3% were taking sulfamides alone despite the fact that metformin is recommended as the first intention drug for these patients. Blood pressure control was not satisfactory in 30% of the patients who were treated or not for high blood pressure. This proportion rose to about 50% among treated patients alone. The patients appeared to be knowledgeable about the risk of complications, particularly ocular complications. They were aware of a certain number of messages but the results would suggest difficulty in application.