Where do we stand in controlling dyslipidemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus? Retrospective analysis 2019–2023

Czech version

Authors: Jozef Lacka ¹; Petra Ištokovičová ²; Martin Jankovský ³; Peter Jackuliak ³; Elena Tibenská ⁴
Authors‘ workplace: JAL, s. r. o., Trnava ¹; Inštitút zdravotných analýz (IZA) MZ SR, Bratislava ²; V. interná klinika LF UK a UNB, Nemocnica Ružinov, Bratislava ³; Medirex group academy n. o., Nitra ⁴
Published in: Diab Obez 2025; 25(2): 78-84
Category: Original paper

Overview

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with a markedly increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). In Slovakia, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease among patients with T2DM is approximately 37 %, which is considerably higher compared with the European average (≈ 30 %) and in global data (≈ 32.2 %). Methods: This retrospective observational analysis included laboratory data from Medirex laboratories covering the entire Slovak territory between 2019 and 2023. The primary inclusion criterion was the simultaneous assessment of lipid profile and glycated hemoglobin (HbA_1c). A total of 160 931 examinations of patients with T2DM were analyzed (ranging from 31 754 to 39 255 annually). All data were anonymized prior to analysis. The evaluated data cover both the pre-pandemic period (2019) and the time during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2023). Results: The pooled mean values of lipid parameters in T2DM patients over the study period were: total cholesterol 4,45 mmol/L, LDL-C 2,87 mmol/L, triglycerides 1,64 mmol/L, HDL-C 1.23 mmol/L. In 2023, only a small proportion of patients achieved recommended LDL-C targets: LDL-C 0–1.4 mmol/L: 3.4 %, LDL-C 1.4–1.8 mmol/L: 7.39 %, LDL-C 1.8–2.6 mmol/L: 29.53 %. Conclusion: The findings highlight a critical situation in Slovakia, where the vast majority of very high cardiovascular risk T2DM patients do not reach guideline-recommended LDL-C targets. The main causes of failing to achieve target values can be considered therapeutic inertia and patient non-adherence. The identification of patients failing to achieve LDL-C goals underscores the need for timely escalation of lipid-lowering therapy and a qualitative shift in the management of dyslipidemia in this high-risk population.

Keywords:

Slovakia – type 2 diabetes mellitus – cardiovascular risk – therapeutic inertia – LDL-C

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