Quality of Life among Saudi Diabetics

Aim of study: To assess QOL among Saudi diabetics and to identify the possible risk factors associated with lower QOL. Patients and Methods: This study comprised 400 diabetic patients attending the Diabetes Clinic at theUniversityDiabetesCenterinRiyadh. They were interviewed using the Audit of Diabetes Dependent QOL (ADDQOL). Results: Most diabetic patients (78.7%) had negative (i.e., unfavorable) ADDQOL scores. Diabetic patients' age, education and occupation were not significantly associated with their QOL. Female patients had significantly worse QOL than male patients (p = 0.026). Married patients had significantly worse QOL compared with non-married patients (p = 0.012). Patients with type 2 diabetes had significantly worse QOL than those with type 1 diabetes (p = 0.029). Duration of diabetes was not significant factors as regard their QOL, with the worst QOL among those with more than 20 years of diabetes. The degree of diabetes control was significantly and directly associated with QOL score (p < 0.001). The worst QOL was expressed among poorly controlled diabetes while the best was among patients with excellent control. QOL of diabetics was less among those who had diabetes complications,?i.e., neuropathy (p = 0.03), retinopathy (p < 0.001), and diabetic foot (p = 0.031). However, difference was not significant according to those with nephropathy. Conclusions: QOL of Saudi adult diabetic patients is not favorable. Personal characteristics associated with worse QOL among diabetics include female gender, and being married. Disease characteristics associated with worse QOL include being a type 2 diabetic and those with uncontrolled diabetes. Main complications associated with worse QOL among diabetics include retinopathy, diabetic foot and neuropathy.

Glycemic Control and Microvascular Complications of Type 2 Diabetes among Saudis

Objective: To study the relation between level of glycemic control and different micovascular complications of type 2 diabetes among Saudis. Patients and Methods: This hospital-based study analyzed the medical records of 343 type 2 diabetic patients attending the “University Diabetes Center” in “King Abdul-Aziz” University Hospital, in Riyadh City within 2006. Inclusion criteria comprised being adult, Saudi, type 2 diabetic, whose disease duration is more than one year, non-pregnant (for females). Results: Half of patients (50.4%) were not controlled (HbA1c > 8%). Vascular complications of diabetes were mainly retinopathy (45.8%) or neuropathy (32.7%). Prevalence of nephropathy was 9.9%. Patients’ sex, age, marital status and occupation were not significant variables as regard their control of diabetes. Patient’s educational status was significantly associated with degree of diabetes control;the higher the patient’s education the better the glycemic control (p = 0.002). Moreover, the longer the duration of diabetes, the worse the glycemic control (p Conclusions: Glycemic control among type 2 diabetics is a real challenge that should the health care team face in tertiary-care diabetes centers in KSA. Microvascular complications are common, especially among poorly controlled cases. Recommendations: The current goal for glycemic control at the University Diabetes Center (HbA1c < 8%) should be revised. Reasons for the high prevalence of failure of diabetes control should be investigated. There should be national campaigns to raise the public awareness as regard diabetes and also screening for hyperglycemia for the sake of early diagnosis of diabetes so as to minimize the incidence of diabetes complications.