Trends from 1995 to 2006 in the prevalence of self-reported cardiovascular risk factors among elderly Spanish diabetics.

Aim: In this study, we examined the trends from 1995 to 2006 in cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) in Spaniards aged 65 years or older with diabetes.

Methods: We looked at the individual data from adults aged > or =65 years from the Spanish National Health Surveys of 1995 (n=1117), 1997 (n=1111), 2001 (n=4328), 2003 (n=6134) and 2006 (n=7835). Those classified as having diabetes had answered the two following questions in the affirmative: Has your doctor told you that you currently have diabetes? Have you taken any medication to treat diabetes in the last two weeks? The CVRF of interest included high blood pressure (HBP), high cholesterol levels, obesity (BMI > or =30 kg/m(2)), smoking and sedentarity, which were estimated and compared for prevalence by survey year, age group and gender. Progression over time was analyzed using logistic-regression models.

Results: During the study period, the prevalences of all of the CVRF of interest were significantly higher among the elderly with diabetes compared with those without diabetes, except for current smoking, which was less frequent. The percentages of diabetic patients with HBP and obesity increased from 49.6 and 17.1%, respectively, in 1995 to 64 and 30.6%, respectively, in 2006 (adjusted ORs: 1.95 for HBP; 2.22 for obesity).

Conclusion: Overall, the self-reported prevalence of CVRF among elderly patients with diabetes did not improve during 1995-2006 but, instead, showed significant increases in self-reported obesity and HBP. This lack of improvement calls for further investigations, and the dedicated attention of both healthcare providers and the diabetic patients themselves.