Risk factor management of type 2 diabetic patients in primary care in the Scandinavian countries between 2003 and 2015

•Most people with type 2 diabetes in Scandinavia are followed in primary care.•This cross-sectional sample presents annual risk factor levels and control.•Prevalence of cardiovascular disease was high.•There seems to be room for improvement in relation to recent guideline updates. To observe and report population demography, comorbidities, risk factor levels and risk factor treatment in a sample of individuals treated for type 2 diabetes in primary care in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Retrospective observational cohort using extraction of data from electronic medical records linked with national health care registries. Sixty primary care clinics participated with annual cross-sectional data (2003 to 2015). In 2015 the sample consisted of 31,632 individuals. Mean age (64.5–66.8 years) and proportion of women (43–45%) were similar. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease in 2015 was 40.7%, 41.6% and 38.0% for Norway, Sweden and Denmark, respectively and 84% to 89% of patients were receiving a pharmacological anti-diabetic treatment. More Danish patients reached targets for HbA1c and LDL cholesterol, while more patients in Sweden and Denmark met the blood pressure target of