RESEARCH ARTICLE A simple diabetes vascula a

Full list of author information is available at the end of the articleBackground Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common non-communicable diseases in the world and results in sub-stantial morbidity and premature mortality [1]. The inci-dence and prevalence of diabetes is rising in developed and developing countries, the age of onset is becoming younger in adults and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in children is increasing [2]. Diabetes is a contributing factor to cardiovascular disease [3] and a leading cause of end stage renal failure [4]. These complications are a great burden to patients and society [5], incur high health service use and contribute excessively to the cost of health care [6]. In evaluating the impact of primary health care resour-cing on hospital use and mortality in a high risk popula-tion of Australian Indigenous adults with type 2 diabetes it was necessary to control for the potential confounding of diabetes-related health status. Given a relatively small sample cohort (n = 379) and no reliable estimate of dia-betes duration, a simple measure of diabetes-relate