The risk profile and the macro-vascular complications of patients with type II diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) was investigated in general practice patients for the first time in the FRG. It was the aim of the study to evaluate the efficacy of the therapy and possible improvements after detailed instructions in a random sample of well defined NIDDM in the greater Munich area. 290 NIDDM (187 female, 103 male) out of a total of 1500 patients treated by 22 general practitioners were randomly recruited for the study. First results indicated an excess morbidity of the NIDDM, e.g. 43.5% with HbA1c greater than 8%, hypertension in 73.8%, hypertriglyceridemia in 75%, hypercholesterolemia in 36.3% adipositas in 78%, and a micro/macro-albuminuria in 44.5%. A similar risk profile could be determined in cases with recently diagnosed NIDDM. The remarkable risk profile documents itself in the incidence of macro-vascular complications: 40.8% of the male and 43.2% of the female showed a peripheral arterial disease (pAVD), in 8% of all patients a carotid artery stenoses could be detected by means of doppler ultrasound technique; 46.6% of the male and 59.3% of the female patients showed symptoms of CHD. With the exception of the incidence of CHD in patients less than 64 years the duration of NIDDM had no influence on the macro-vascular complications as demonstrated in previous studies. The age however always had a significant influence on all three vascular regions examined. Albuminuria correlated as such with a number of risk factors showed a significant correlation with the incidence of pAVD and occurred more often in males with carotid artery stenoses. Other correlations established were: Hypercholesterolemia and FVIII ass. Ag respectively, and the incidence of carotid artery stenoses; blood pressure, F VIII ass. Ag and pAVD. In the female a negative correlation could be seen between the pAVD and the HDL-level. In patients with CHD sex specific correlations could be determined to blood pressure, HbA1c, c-peptide and triglyceride levels.