Guidelines for the treatment of risk factors in diabetes care have been updated recently, due to indisputable results from clinical end-point trials. This study evaluates risk factor control compared with current national and international targets during the period 1996-2003 in Type 2 diabetes (DM2). Patients were registered in primary-care and hospital outpatient clinics using computer software, or via the Internet. The clinical characteristics of the patients, treatment, HbA(1c), and risk factors were reported after screening by local methods. The numbers of cases of DM2 reported were 17547 in 1996 and 57119 in 2003. The mean HbA(1c) decreased from 7.8 to 7.2%, while blood pressure decreased from 150/82 to 143/78 mmHg during the same period. Longitudinal analysis of results was performed in 5356 patients repeatedly reported, showing slightly lower effects. The new European treatment targets of HbA(1c)