Macrovascular disease in diabetics in Central Africa.

Six hundred African diabetics were examined for evidence of large vessel disease using a standardised technique based on the World Health Organisation Multinational Study, in which no country from Africa was represented. Twelve patients had electrocardiograms coded coronary probable using Minnesota coding. Seven patients had had strokes and 10 peripheral vascular disease. Despite the high prevalence of hypertension large vessel disease was uncommon, being comparable with Japan and Hong Kong, who had the lowest prevalence in the WHO study. Overall, only 49 patients had evidence of macrovascular disease.