RESUMEN
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with an increasing prevalence and a raised life expectancy of patients.Since it is a disease presenting with multiple complications during its evolution special emphasis should be given to ever greather efforts for improving quality of life of the patients.A sample of 50 persons comprising 50 per cent of the diabetic population controlled by the Cardiovascular Programme of the Galvarino Hospital were studied, including a survey to assess their quality of life. Results showed that 100 per cent of the patients had one associated pathology, high blood pressure being the most frequent; 72 per cent were obese while a high percentage showed a deficient metabolic control. 71 per cent had a poorly compensated diabetes and 85 per cent presented high tensional figures at the time of assessment.A Cause of special concern is that none of the patients had a recent eye examination nor a fundoscopy.The above results show the ineffectiveness of the Cardiovascular Health Programme developed by the municipality of Galvarino as well as the absence of basic tools to carry out a proper assessment of diabetic patients.