OBJECTIVES: The study is to measure the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with oral anti-diabetic drugs (OADs) therapy using the Chinese version of EQ-5D, and examine their health status. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted at 75 hospitals in 9 cities in China. There were 9577 T2DM patients administered with OADs therapy completed the questionnaires. The survey period was from December 3rd, 2008 to July 31st, 2009. Patients evaluated their health status using five dimensions (5D) and a visual analog scale (VAS). Descriptive statistics was used to describe patients' demographic characteristics, duration of the disease, the frequency of 5D responses and VAS score. STATA 9.2 was used for the analyses. RESULTS: The mean age of patients (±SD) was 59.5±12.7 years. 51.1% were male. The mean body mass index (±SD) was 24.3±3.4 kg/m2. The mean duration of disease (±SD) was 7.9±6.3 years. For the five dimensions of EQ-5D, the frequency of T2DM patients responding as having “some problem” and “extreme problem” was 4.6% and 1.6% for mobility, 7.9% and 1.4% for self-care, 13.9% and 1.7% for usual activities, 27.5% and 1.1% for pain/discomfort, and 26.6% and 1.3% for anxiety/depression, respectively. The mean VAS score (±SD) of patients was 70.4±15.1. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of T2DM patients with “some problem” in pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression were relatively high; rate with “extreme problem” for usual activities was also higher than other dimensions. The results of 5D were consistent with the low VAS score. These findings imply that there was a significant impact on the health status of T2DM patients with OADs therapy due to pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. It underscores the urgent need to adopt effective measures toward prevention and control of diabetes to improve patients’ quality of life.