ASSESSMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE AMONG PEOPLE LIVING WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS.

Diabetes is one of the largest global health emergencies of the 21st century. Each year more and more people live with this condition, which can result in life-changing complications. In addition to the more than 530 million adults who are estimated to currently have diabetes, there are over 500 million adults with impaired glucose tolerance, which puts them at high risk of developing the disease in the future (International Diabetes Federation, 2025).

The prevalence of patients with type 2 diabetes registered at Regional Endocrinology Dispensaries in the Republic of Uzbekistan was 155,876 in 2014, whereas by 2023 this number increased to 377,115.

This is an increase of almost 2.5 times compared to 2014.Diabetes and its complications are major causes of early death in most countries. Approximately 6.7 million people aged between 20 and 79 years died from diabetes in 2021, equivalent to one death every five seconds. Diabetes accounts for a substantial proportion of global all-cause mortality among people in this age group (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2025).

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death among people with diabetes, accounting for 50–60% or more of deaths in some populations — particularly due to coronary artery disease (CAD). This is consistent with findings from prospective observational studies such as FinnDiane and the Verona Diabetes Study, in which increased variability in HbA1c and glycemia was independently associated with the development of cardiovascular complications.