ABSTRACT
AIMS: To assess the prevalence of microvascular and macrovascular complications of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) among Palestinians. METHODS: 1308 diagnosed T2DM attending four main Primary Health Care Clinics on the Southern West Bank of Palestine examined by a Mobile Diabetes Clinic team. All diabetes patients visiting the clinics during a one-month period for each clinic were included. Interviews, anthropometric measurements, physical examination, and laboratory tests: HbA1c, lipid profile, and kidney function tests analyzed in a central laboratory were obtained RESULTS: 1308 diabetes patients, including 839 females (64%), with a mean age of 57 years (SD=8.7), and mean diabetes duration 7.1 years(SD=6.25), participated. 95.3% presented as overweight (BMI >25kg/m2) or obese (BMI>30kg/m2) with mean BMI of 33.46 (SD=5.95). The mean HbA1c (tested in 1221 patients) was 9.21(SD=2). Only 16.1% had HbA1c <7.0%. Hypertension (blood pressure>140/90mmHg) were found in 23%, and dyslipidemia (total cholesterol>200mg/dl) was present in 37.3% of patients. 213(16.3%) had a history of the macrovascular disease (previous myocardial infarction or stroke), and 290 (25.9%) had microvascular complications. Moreover, 40 (4.9%) had advanced kidney disease with serum creatinine>1.4mg/dl. CONCLUSIONS: The present cross-sectional study shows poor glycemic control in Palestine, while blood pressure and lipids are less poorly controlled. The study emphasizes the need to optimize the glucose-lowering treatment and to implement diabetes care program that could face the challenge of high uncontrolled diabetes as well as complications of diabetes.
