<b>Determinants of cardiovascular disease among type two diabetic patients </b><b>attending diabetic follow-up clinic in Southern Ethiopia: an unmatched case-control study</b>

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of death and disability among patients with type 2 diabetes, especially, in low- and middle-income countries. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients have a 2- to 4-fold increased risk of CVD. There is limited data about cardiovascular disease risks and its determinants among type 2 DM patients in Ethiopia. This study aimed to identify possible predictors of cardiovascular diseases among adults with Type 2 DM in the southern part of Ethiopia.METHODS: A hospital-based unmatched case-control study was conducted at southern Ethiopia Arbaminch Hospital on 196 randomly selected patients with type 2 diabetes on follow-up (98 cases and 98 controls). We collected data by using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, laboratory checklist, and additional document review of T2DM patients. To identify determinants of cardiovascular disease, a multivariable binary logistic regression was fitted, and the findings were presented using an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).RESULT: The mean reported age (±SD) of the cases and the controls was 56.3.3 (±8.9) and 52.3 (±9.3) years, respectively. The two identified independent determinants of cardiovascular disease with AOR [95% CI] were hypertension [AOR = 4.953, 95% CI (2.47, 9.93) and persistent urine albuminuria [AOR= 12.9, 95% CI (3.98, 41.7)]. CONCLUSION: This study showed that having high blood pressure and persistent urine albuminuria are independent predictors of cardiovascular disease in type 2 DM patients. An intervention for mitigating these determinants of cardiovascular disease is needed in the current study setting.