Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences

Published by : PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL PUBLICATIONS

ISSN 1681-715X

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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Volume 26

January - March  2010

Number  1


 

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Clinical Profile of Newly Presenting Diabetic Patients at
the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

Unadike BC1, Akpan NA2, Essien IO3

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Diabetes Mellitus is emerging as a major health challenge with the incidence and prevalence of the disease on the increase. It also contributes to overall morbidity and mortality with complications like cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy and lower extremity amputation. There are few local studies on the clinical characteristics of the disease in our wet up and this study therefore set out to characterize the clinical profile of newly presenting diabetic patients in a health facility in Nigeria.

Methodology: It is a cross sectional, descriptive study carried out at the diabetes clinic of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital between January 2007 and September 2008. Data obtained included age, sex, anthropometric indices, symptomatology, co-morbidities, complications and treatment of diabetes. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 10.

Results: A total of two hundred and seventy patients were studied (120 males, 150 females). About 89.2% were Type 2 DM patients and majority of the study subjects were overweight. Diabetic neuropathy was the commonest complication present in 38.8% of the subjects. Polyuria was the commonest symptom and hypertension the commonest comorbidity. Majority of the subjects were on oral hypolgycaemic agents for the management of their disease with the sulphonyureas and biguanides being the most common medication that was taken by them. A few of the patients were also taking herbal medication for treatment of their disease.

Conclusion: Majority of the patients presenting in our facility have Type 2 diabetes, were hypertensive and overweight. Hypertension was the commonest co-morbidity and diabetic neuropathy the commonest complication. Adequate health education, subsidies on medications and proper funding of the health sector is necessary to stem the tide of the burden attributable to the disease.

KEY WORDS: Clinical profile, Diabetes Mellitus.

Pak J Med Sci    January - March 2010    Vol. 26 No. 1    26-30

How to cite this article:

Unadike BC, Akpan NA, Essien IO. Clinical Profile of Newly Presenting Diabetic Patients at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Pak J Med Sci 2010;26(1):26-30


1. Unadike BC,
2. Akpan NA,
3. Essien IO
1-3: Department of Medicine, University of Uyo Teaching
Hospital, Uyo, Nigeria.

Correspondence:

Unadike BC,
E-mail: bernadike@yahoo.com

* Received for Publication: October 5, 2009

* Revision Received: November 17, 2009

* Revision Accepted: November 25, 2009



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