OBJECTIVETo understand the relationship between prevalence rates of chronic diabetic complications and related macro-vascular diseases and hypertension, to provide evidence for diabetes prevention and control.

METHODSTo retrospectively analyze the clinical and laboratory data on 24 496 in-patients with diabetes during Jan. 1, 1991 to Dec. 31, 2000 from 30 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.

RESULTSThe prevalence rate of hypertension was 31.95%. The prevalence rates of other chronic diabetic complications and related macro-vascular diseases were 12.2% for cerebrovascular diseases, 15.9% for cardiovascular diseases, 5.0% for lower extremity vascular diseases, 34.3% for eye diseases, 33.6% for nephropathy and 60.3% for neuropathy, with a total rate of chronic diabetic complications and macro-vascular diseases of 73.2%. Hypertension was related with all kinds of chronic diabetic complications and macro-vascular diseases odds ratio (OR) of related systolic blood pressure was 1.148 - 1.866, and OR related diastolic was 1.141 - 1.242.

CONCLUSIONSThe prevalence rates of chronic diabetic complications and related macro-vascular diseases of in-patients with diabetes mellitus were much higher than those of non-diabetics, and was close to the levels seen in the western countries. Hypertension, especially high systolic blood pressure was the most important risk factor of chronic diabetic complications and the related macro-vascular diseases.