Introduction: Previous studies have shown insufficient diabetes control in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Diabetes Poland changed the target HbA1c and blood pressure (BP) values in diabetic patients in their practice guidelines in 2011, that were further sustained. To assess the management and treatment choices in T2DM of more than ten years’ duration and the degree to which diabetic control criteria recommended by the Diabetes Poland clinical practice guidelines 2012 are being met.

Material and methods: ARETAEUS2-Grupa was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study conducted in Poland in 2012 (April–June). It involved 1,740 patients of any age and both genders, with T2DM diagnosed more than ten years before the study, and recruited by randomly selected physicians.

Results: All patients received pharmacological treatment, most of them combination therapy or insulin in monotherapy. 40% of patients met the goal for HbA1c control (≤ 7%) and the median value of HbA1c was above the recommended threshold (7.2%). Only 8% of thetotal population met all three goals (HbA1c, BP and lipid levels), 26% — two goals, and 40% — only one goal. Over 25% of patients did not meet any of the treatment goals.

Conclusions: We observed considerable deviations from treatment targets recommended by current clinical practice guidelines for patients with T2DM of more than ten years’ duration. The frequency of cardiovascular risk factors and late diabetes complications was high, while a relatively high percentage of patients was not examined for late diabetes complications.