Abstract:
Background: Diabetes mellitus chronic illness, characterized by chronic hyperglycemia due to either insulin deficiency or resistance or both. Hyperglycemia induces tissue damage through mitochondrial superoxide production, affecting; retina, glomerulus, and neurons resulting most common diabetes complications. Diabetes mellitus requires continuing medical care and ongoing self-care management to prevent and delay acute and long term complications.
Objective: This study aims to assess glycemic control and diabetes complications among diabetes patients attending at University of Gondar Hospital.
Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among diabetes mellitus patients attending at University of Gondar Hospital diabetes follow up clinic. Diabetes patients coming during the study period from February to March 2017 were taken as participants. After interview five milliliter of blood was collected using aseptic technique. Levels of fasting blood sugar, triglyceride and cholesterol were measured using MINDRAY BS-200E machine. Fasting blood sugar ≥130mg/dl was taken as poor glycemic control. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate associated risk factors for the outcome variable. A p-value <0.05 with 95% confidence interval was considered as statistically significant.
Result: Three hundred and sixty seven (367) diabetes patients were included in this study and 282 (76.8%) of them had poor glycemic level (FBS ≥130mg/dl). The proportion of poor glycemic control was higher among type 2 DM patients (78.94%) than Type 1 DM patients (74.05%). Age ≥65 years old (AOR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01- 0.44), self-employment (AOR: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.09-0.89), comorbidities (AOR, 0.185, 95% CI: 0.035- 0.989), triglyceride level ≥150 mg/dl (AOR, 2.436, 95% CI: 1.097- 5.410) and increased waist circumference (AOR: 0.278: 95% CI: 0.119- 0.651) were factors significantly associated with poor glycemic control. Diabetes complications was high in poor glycemic levels 83 (29.43%) and type 2 diabetes 78 (37.72%).
Conclusion: Prevalence of poor glycemic level was alarmingly very high, which indicates higher effort is required to improve glycemic control and prevent or decrease occurrence of diabetes complications.
