Cardiovascular therapy, diagnostic procedures, and control of risk factors in patients with diabetes or coronary artery disease in Poland: the Kardia‑Pol registry

INTRODUCTION Diabetes mellitus (DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD) are associated with increased cardiovascular risk.
OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to compare management of high‑risk patients with DM and patients with CAD in Poland.
PATIENTS AND METHODS Randomly selected primary care offices enrolled patients aged 55 years and older, with DM and no documented CAD (n = 210) or with CAD and no documented DM (n = 186). 
RESULTS Statins were given to 64% vs. 87% (P <0.05), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) to 53% vs. 84% (P <0.05), and angiotensin‑converting enzyme inhibitors to 70% vs. 69% (P = 0.8) of the patients with DM and CAD, respectively. Screening tests to detect glucose abnormalities in patients with CAD or to detect CAD in patients with DM were not performed in 26% of patients with DM and 24% of those with CAD (P = 0.64). Mean systolic blood pressure was 136.8 ±13.6 vs. 131.7 ±15.8 mmHg (P = 0.001), diastolic blood pressure was 80.4 ±7.4 vs. 79.4 ±11.6 mmHg (P = 0.316), and total cholesterol was 196 ±42 vs. 183 ±42 mg/dl (P = 0.003) in patients with DM and CAD, respectively. The percentage of patients with blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg, total cholesterol below 175 mg/dl, and low‑density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol below 100 mg/dl was 15% vs. 25% (P = 0.055), while the percentage of patients with blood pressure below 130/80 mmHg, total cholesterol below 175 mg/dl, and LDL cholesterol <70 mg/dl was 1% vs. 3% (P = 0.016) in the DM vs. CAD groups, respectively. 
CONCLUSIONS Use of statins and ASA was more frequent in patients with CAD than in patients with DM. Control of risk factors in the study population was better in the CAD group but still unsatisfactory in most patients.