Contributing Risk Factors and Complications in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Prolonged hyperglycaemia and other risk factors increase the probability of neurological, ophthalmic, renal and foot ulcer complications in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) impacting quality of life and healthcare costs. Despite this, little is known in terms of prevalence, risk factors and complications in Saudi Arabia. Aim(s): To evaluate the prevalence and differences in risk factors among patients with T2DM with and without diabeticrelated complications. Method(s): Age, gender, nationality, glycosylated haemoglobin test (HbA1c), and Body Mass Index (BMI) were collected retrospectively from patients with T2DM between January 2010 to July 2022 in all patients >= 18 years. The 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes was used to retrieve data from a tertiary referral hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Result(s): In total, there were 3,972 patients with T2DM and 74.7% with diabetic-related complications. Of these, 52.7% were females (P = 0.028) and 85.7% were > 45 years of age (P = 0.010). Compared to uncomplicated patients, males had a 17% greater likelihood of suffering from diabetic-related complications (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.01-1.35, P = 0.028). Patients of > 45 years (compared to <= 45 years) had a 28% greater risk of complications (OR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.06-1.55, P = 0.010). Obesity increased the risk by 31% (OR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.09-1.59, P = 0.004) compared to healthy-weight people. Patients with poorly controlled HbA1c (compared to well-controlled) had a 2.4 times greater risk (OR = 2.39; 95% CI: 1.99-2.86, P = 0.001). Furthermore, high cholesterol levels increased this risk by almost two-and-a-half fold (OR = 2.41; 95% CI: 1.18-4.93, P = 0.015) compared to normal levels. Conclusion(s): Our prevalence of T2DM complicationswas high, with a significantly increased likelihood of macro or micro complications associated with high HbA1c, BMI, and cholesterol levels in patients with T2DM. Future studies are needed to identify and manage these complications early to reduce the healthcare burden of this disease.Copyright 2023 Elsevier B.V.