Association of diabetes duration and the risk of cardiovascular disease assessed by QRISK3 and INTERHEART risk scores in type 2 diabetes patients

ABSTRACT Introduction: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients using QRISK3 and INTERHEART risk scores (IHRSs). Materials and Methods: Ninety T2DM patients aged 40–70 years were recruited from a tertiary care hospital. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and fasting blood samples were collected. CVD risk was calculated using QRISK3 and IHRS algorithms. Results: The mean age of participants was 54.84 ± 8.09 years. Males had a significantly higher systolic blood pressure, waist–hip ratio (WHR), and body mass index (BMI) compared to females ( P < 0.0001). The mean 10-year CVD risk based on QRISK3 was 32.82 ± 14.88 for males and 18.62 ± 11.20 for females, while IHRS was 22.95 ± 5.61 and 15.19 ± 4.35, respectively ( P < 0.0001). Participants with QRISK3 scores ≥20 were older, had a longer diabetes duration, and had a higher WHR, BMI, and blood pressure than those with scores <20 ( P < 0.05). Similar trends were observed for IHRS, with significant differences in anthropometric and blood pressure measurements between medium- and high-risk groups ( P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in glycemic indices and lipid profiles between risk groups. Conclusions: The QRISK 3 score may be a more effective predictor of CVD risk in individuals with a longer duration of diabetes than the IHRS as it demonstrates a significant correlation with the duration of diabetes. Additional studies with a larger sample size and longer follow-up periods are required.