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.