Control of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension in a French national study (Phenomen).

UNLABELLED: For some years now, the recommendations of scientific societies have significantly reduced the therapeutic targets for blood pressure, glycaemia and lipid levels in diabetic patients. However, little is known regarding the synchronization between effective risk factor management and the guidelines. To examine this issue, the Phenomen survey was conducted between January and July 2001 on 16358 patients suffering from hypertension followed by a general practitioner in France. AIM: To evaluate the control of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with diabetes and hypertension according to the French guidelines. METHODS AND PATIENTS: 8177 general practitioners, selected from a national database according to quotas, taking into account age, practice and area, had to include the first two hypertensive patients they came across in their practice and to collect their demographic data, cardiovascular risk factors and medications.
RESULTS: 2346 out of 16358 hypertensive patients presented with type 2 diabetes (14.3% of the cohort). The number of GP consultations in the last 12 months averaged 8.31. According to the French guidelines, 6.5% had a blood pressure<140/80 mmHg, a total of 38.7% patients met the goal of LDL cholesterol level and 26.6% of patients had an HbA1c<6.5%, 53.4% of patients had an HbA1c between 6.6 and 8%. 37.1% of patients continued to receive antihypertensive monotherapy but only 3% in this monotherapy group reached the target of 130/85 mmHg. 29% of the patients were on antiplatelet therapy. 64.6% of these hypertensive diabetic patients presented with more than three other cardiovascular risk factors. Based on WHO recommendations, 0.3% of the patients met all of the blood pressure, lipid and glycaemic treatment objectives.
CONCLUSION: Despite frequent monitoring by a general practitioner, the overall management of modifiable risk factors in this diabetic hypertensive population is clearly inadequate. The impact of the guidelines on effective management remains limited and additional information is required to understand why physicians are not more aggressive in managing modifiable risk factors in diabetic patients.