CAPTURE: A cross-sectional study on the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in adults with type 2 diabetes in Italy

Background and aims: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Italy is increasing and cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the leading cause of death in this population. CAPTURE was a multinational, multicentre, non-interventional, cross-sectional study assessing the prevalence of CVD, atherosclerotic CVD (AsCVD) and CVD subtypes among patients with T2D, across 13 countries. Here we report the results from Italy. Methods and results: Overall, 816 patients with T2D (median age, 69 years [interquartile range: 62–75]; median duration of diabetes, 11.2 years [interquartile range: 5.7–18.7]) were recruited during routine clinical visits at secondary care centres in Italy between December 2018–September 2019. The prevalence of CVD was estimated at 38.8%, largely accounted for by AsCVD (33.1%). The most prevalent CVD subtype was coronary heart disease (20.8%), followed by carotid artery disease (13.2%). Most patients (85.9%) were prescribed oral glucose-lowering agents (GLAs), particularly biguanide (76.7%). Insulin use was higher in patients with CVD (41.3%) than in patients without CVD (32.9%). Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) were prescribed to 20.2% vs 14.6%, and 14.5% vs 16.6% of patients with CVD compared to those without CVD, respectively. Conclusion: The results show that, in Italy, more than one in three patients with T2D attending secondary care centres have CVD, 85% of whom have AsCVD, yet only a minority are treated with SGLT2is and GLP-1 RAs, in discordance with the recommendations of current national and international guidelines.