Evaluation of the relationship between diabetes and large blood vessel disease

We analyzed the characteristics of diabetes-related macrovascular complications with the objective of more effectively preventing later lethal complications involving cerebral infarction. The associated diseases of approximately 8,000 diabetic patients and >50,000 non-diabetic individuals were evaluated. The distribution characteristics of the four major vascular complications, hypertension, hyperlipemia, coronary heart disease and cerebral infarction in different gender and age groups, together with the relationship among these complications, were investigated. Statistical analysis entailing >600 clinical detection indices in the two major populations (diabetic patients with or without the four major complications listed above) were performed. It is found that in southern Zhejiang Province, China, macroangiopathy is the major complication of diabetes. The most relevant four vascular diseases are hypertension, hyperlipemia, coronary heart disease and cerebral infarction. There is a clear peak prevalence of these four complications in women with diabetes around the age of 65–70 years. There were significant differences in uric acid, triglyceride, creatinine, total cholesterol, serum sodium and other indices (P < 0.05) between the diabetic populations with and without the four complications.