Complications of diabetes mellitus among patients attending outpatient clinics in Qatar

الملخص EN

The objective of this study was to explore the prevailing complications of diabetes mellitus and to explore some of the associated factors among Qatari patients previously diagnosed as having diabetes mellitus.

A random sample of Qatari diabetic patients attending outpatient clinics (8 am to 12 pm) attached to Hamad General Hospital, be¬tween May 2001-2002 were included in the study.

The to¬tal sample was 225, 74 males, and 151 females.

The results revealed that retinopathy was the most prevailing compli¬cation (43.6 %), followed by nephropathy (40.9 %), hyper¬tension (36.9 %), neuropathy (28.9 %), hyperlipidemia (26.7 %), coronary heart disease (18.7 %), foot ulcer (4.4 %), and thyroid problems (3.6 %).

A significant association be¬tween development of hypertension and high body mass index (BMI) was found.

Neuropathy and thyroid problems were significantly higher in females.

(56.9 %) of the pa¬tients were obese (BMI >30 kg / m2), and 28.9 % were over¬weight (BMI 25-29.9).

Two thirds of the patients had posi¬tive family history of the disease, and females who had dia¬betic fathers were significantly higher than males.