Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Cardiovascular complications are well known in type 2 diabetes with other factors of cardiovascular disease. Recently, with the intensive treatment of type 1 diabetes, many studies have focused on macrovascular complications in type 1 diabetes. The aim of our study was to determine the long-term cardiovascular risk factors and macrovascular complications in type 1 diabetic patients.

Patients and methods: A retrospective study involving 45 patients hospitalised in Rabta Endocrinology Department between 1997 and 2005 for type 1 diabetes. We noted after a minimum follow-up of 10 years the appearance of cardiovascular events. We also reported cardiovascular risk factors such as family history of cardiovascular events, smoking, obesity, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension, insulin dose, and glycaemic control.

Results: Our patients were 21 men and 24 women. The average age of our patients at diagnosis was 25.3 years (10–50), their mean BMI was 22 (15.8–26.95). The average waist circumference was 75.88 cm. Ten patients were smokers, four patients had a family history of cardiovascular events. The lipid profile was normal in all patients. The mean insulin dose was 1 UI/kg per day (0.16–1.54). The mean duration of diabetes in our patients was 14 years (range 10–30). Six patients developed hypertension. After a follow-up of 10 years, the mean BMI was 20 (18.19–38) and the mean insulin dose was 1 UI/kg per day. The mean of HbA1c was 10%. We didn’t report any macrovascular events in our patients.

Conclusion: Type 2 diabetes is usually associated with other cardiovascular risk factors related to the metabolic syndrome. Poor glycaemic control is a common factor to both types 1 and 2 diabetes. Intensive treatment of type 1 diabetes with a strict glycaemic control result often in a long-term overweight. Comprehensive prevention beyond glycaemic control is necessary to prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular events in type 1 diabetes.