The Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Delma Island: A Cross-Sectional Study

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.

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