Prevalence of hypertension and dyslipidemia and their associations with micro- and macrovascular diseases in patients with diabetes in Taiwan: An analysis of nationwide data for 2000–2009

Background/Purpose Cardiovascular complication is the leading cause of mortality in patients with diabetes. Dyslipidemia and hypertension are the major risk factors contributing to cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of dyslipidemia and hypertension and their associations with microvascular and macrovascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes in Taiwan. Methods Health-care data and diagnostic codes were retrieved from the Taiwan Bureau of National Health Insurance claims files for the years 2000–2009. Based on these data the annual prevalences of dyslipidemia and hypertension were calculated and patients were stratified by age, gender, and diabetic complications. Results In patients with diabetes, the prevalence of dyslipidemia increased with age, with the highest rate recorded in adults (inclusive of both genders) between 40 and 65 years of age ( p for trend 65 years of age ( p for trend