An Observational Study on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Related Risk Factors and Complications in In-patient Department at a Tertiary Care Centre in Telangana, India

Aims: To identify the risk factors and complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Study Design: It is a single-centre, prospective, observational study.

Place and Duration of Study: This study site includes in-patient departments of Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad done for a period of six months between December’2022 to May’2023.

Methodology: In-patient cases diagnosed with T1DM, T2DM and pre-diabetes were included in study. A data collection form was drafted that included patient demographics (age, sex, height, weight, history in family, risk factors, past medication history, past medical illnesses- HTN (hypertension), dyslipidemia. Lifestyle of patients if physically active/ sedentary and social history as smoker/ alcoholic noted. Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) was recorded for T2DM along with BMI in kg/m2. Any micro or macro-vascular complications noted during study period. Medications prescribed were assessed for appropriateness in treating Diabetes Mellitus. Case sheets with complete information regarding patient details were only analyzed.

Results: 70 cases were collected and analyzed for diabetes out of which 58 cases comprised of T2DM. The majority study population was males 63.79% and with age group 53-69 years (25 cases, 43.10%) being higher. As per WHO-Diabetes Criteria, Pre-Diabetes was highly prevalent of 58.57% at this study site. Higher cases of T2DM (82.85%) was noted which shows the importance of implementing lifestyle changes to prevent macro and micro vascular complications. Symptoms of T2DM were abdominal pain (15, 25.86%) followed by excessive thirst (20.68%), and tiredness (10%). Major risk factors for T2DM were hypertension (15, 25.86%), smoking habit (22.41%), alcohol and obesity (17.24% each) which may have lead to complications associated with T2DM as Nephropathy in 2 cases followed by retinopathy, ischemic stroke, and diabetic foot each 1 case. Metformin as monotherapy (82.75% cases) was preferred treatment for T2DM at this site followed by Glimepiride (12, 20.68%).

Conclusion: Study observations conclude that various risk factors can lead to T2DM, hence it is essential to create awareness among the general population on this. Strategies for preventing DM should also be highlighted such as lifestyle changes and following proper dietary guidelines that would avert any life-threatening conditions.