Association of chronic complications of diabetes mellitus and presence of risk factors

ABSTRACT

Chronic complications of diabetes are known to be associated with certain risk factors. Once complications develop, they will never regress, denoting that reduction of these factors as much as possible, is the best way to deter the complications. To determine such risk factors, a study was done on diabetic patients with a ample size of 315 from Diabetic Clinic and Ward 1 + 2, Yanton General Hospital. There were 281 NIDDM and 341 IDDM patients. The study on NIDDM patients shows that physical inactivity and age of the patients were associated with the development of retinopathy. The following factors were identified as being associated hypertension, high serum cholesterol and age of the patient. Smoking is also associated with neruopathy. The possible risk factors for nephropathy were age of patient, hypertension, alcohol and hyper-uricaemia. Hypertension, age of the patient, male sex and pbhysical inactivity were found to be important risk factors for CVA. For IHD, contraceptive pills, physical inactivity and age of patients were possible risk factors. On the other hand, physical inactivity, hypertension, age of patient and duration of disease were important for peripheral vascular disease. Out study spotlihgted that age factor is the mainstay in the development of chronic complications in both NIDDM and IDDM. In NIDDM physical inactivity predisposes to retinopathy and atherosclerotic complications. Hypertension enhances neuropathy, nephropathy, CVA and peripheral vascular disease. However, in IDDM, the duration of diabetes and fasting blood sugar levels are significant risks in the development of retinopathy and nephropathy.