Rising Cardiovascular Disease Rates Among Indians with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Strategic Insights -

A study published in BMC Public Health highlights the alarming rise of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Indians with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The research, conducted in Gujarat, India, compared the effectiveness of two cardiovascular risk assessment tools, QRISK3 and Lipid Association of India (LAI) risk scores, in a community-based sample of 600 T2DM patients. The findings suggest that both scoring systems can be used complementarily in comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment, particularly in younger individuals.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that 42% of the participants had moderate risk, 14.7% had high risk, and 43.3% had very high risk according to QRISK3, while LAI classified 40%, 15%, and 45% in these categories, respectively.
  • The agreement between QRISK3 and LAI risk scores was substantial, with a weighted kappa value of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.79-0.87).
  • The concordance between the scoring systems improved with age, from moderate agreement in younger adults (k = 0.75 for 25-44 years) to strong agreement in older adults (k = 0.87 for 65 years).
  • LAI identified more high-risk patients among those aged 55-64 years.
  • The study concluded that QRISK3 and LAI risk scores can be used together to improve cardiovascular risk assessment in Indian T2DM patients, especially in younger individuals.

Statistics:

  • 600 T2DM patients aged 25-84 years were recruited from urban and rural areas of the Jamnagar district.
  • 55 ± 8.5 years was the mean age of the participants.
  • 60% of the participants were male.
  • 42% had moderate risk, 14.7% had high risk, and 43.3% had very high risk according to QRISK3.
  • 40% had moderate risk, 15% had high risk, and 45% had very high risk according to LAI.
  • The agreement between QRISK3 and LAI risk scores was substantial, with a weighted kappa value of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.79-0.87).

Sources:

  • Community-based evaluation of cardiovascular risk using QRISK3 in type 2 diabetes mellitus population in Gujarat, India. BMC Public Health, 2025;25(1):3384.