Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes Mellitus in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Introduction: The availability of figures about the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) could guide the planning and conduct of specific preventive programs that target CVDs among diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia. Thus, this study aimed to assess the risk of cardiovascular diseases in diabetic patients among the population in Saudi Arabia.
Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional observational study design conducted on people attending primary health care (PHC), in Najran city. The cases and controls were subjected to clinical examination and laboratory investigations to identify the occurrence of the study outcomes including CVDs, diabetic nephropathy, and retinopathy. Cases and controls were examined to ensure that both groups are comparable in regards to main demographical variables such as age and sex.
Results: The non-adjusted odds ratio of the association between CVDs and diabetes mellitus was 11.5 (P value= 0.001). The findings of logistic regression showed that diabetes mellitus and smoking were significant independent predictors for the occurrence of CVDs, while age, gender, nationality, and BMI were not significant predictors for CVDs.
Conclusions: This study concluded that diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia are at a higher risk of CVDs than that non-diabetic persons. Hypertension and dyslipidemia were important risk factors for CVDs among diabetic patients, while gender, age, and nationality showed a non-significant effect. Diabetes mellitus and smoking were considered significant independent predictors for the occurrence of CVDs.