equations may overestimate CVD risk

Current risk equations may overestimate CVD risk in diabetic patients

OCTOBER 21, 2009 | Marlene Busko

Montreal, QC - The Framingham and United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) risk equations overestimate the probability of CV events in people with type 2 diabetes, according to several reports in an oral presentation session here at the International Diabetes Federation(IDF) 2009 World Diabetes Congress [1].

"The key observation that seems to be emerging is that current risk models overestimate CV event risk in diabetes patients," session cochair Dr Naveed Sattar (University of Glasgow, Scotland) toldheartwire, adding that the reasons for this overestimation are unclear.

"On the one hand, most countries are now treating patients with diabetes as if they are all CHD-risk equivalent, and clearly, the overestimation of risk scores suggests that that is potentially wrong," he said./.../