Prevalence of complications of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in relation to the gender and duration of Diabetes Mellitus among clinic patients at Teaching Hospital Batticaloa

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disorder which is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia due to relative insulin deficiency, resistance or both. A patient with diabetes mellitus needs a tight glycemic control from early stages of the disease to prevent the disease progressing into microvascular & macrovascular complications. The prevalence of complications of the disease increases with the duration of the disease as many studies shows and also they show an increased prevalence in the male gender than females. The objectives are to assess prevalence of complications of type two diabetes mellitus in relation to the gender & duration of diabetes mellitus among patients at medical clinic at Teaching Hospital Batticaloa. A descriptive cross sectional study among type two diabetic patients at medical clinic at Teaching Hospital Batticaloa was conducted, involving a total 169 patients. Data was collected manually, extracted from clinic books by a data collection form which was filled by the investigators, the data was divided according to the specific objectives considering the gender & duration of diabetes mellitus. Analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25 using descriptive statistical methods. Out of 169 participants, (N=110), 65.1% were females while (N=59), 34.9% were males. A total of 80.1% (N=137) participants were present with at least one of the complications. Among the participants who had macrovascular complications (N=76), 39.47% were male (N=30) and 60.52% were female (N=46). Majority of participants (38.15%, N=29) have developed macrovascular complications between the period of 11-15 years of the onset of the disease. Among the participants who had microvascular complications (N=136), 36.02% are male (N=49) and 63.97% are female (N=87). Majority of participants (34%, N=46) have developed microvascular complications between the period of 6-10 years of the onset of diabetes mellitus. Out of the study population, a significant number of patients have developed at least one complication of the type two diabetes mellitus. Among them the prevalence of microvascular complications was higher than the prevalence of macrovascular complications. Females had a higher prevalence of both macrovascular and microvascular complications due to type two diabetes mellitus, than males who attended the clinic. The prevalence of macrovascular complications first increased with the increased duration of diabetes mellitus and then a reduction in number is observed after a peak prevalence on patients who had a diabetes mellitus for 11-15 years.