Epidemiological profile of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated at a teaching-assistance unit in Northeast Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To determine the epidemiological profile of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a teaching unit. Method: In this observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study, data from the medical records of consultations conducted between February 2020 and May 2022 at an endocrinology outpatient clinic in a teaching unit in Northeast Brazil were evaluated. A descriptive analysis of the data was performed, with percentage values, medians, and interquartile ranges (IQRs) reported. Result: Data were collected from the medical records of 118 patients, and the medical records of 95 patients were used for statistical analysis after the exclusion of records with insufficient data. Seventy patients (73.6%) were female, with a median age of 57 years (IQR 51.5-65), a median body mass index (BMI) of 28.9 kg/m2 (IQR 25.7-33.1) and a median age at diagnosis of 47.5 years (IQR 38-55). The median glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose levels during follow-up were 7.6% (IQR 6.6-9.7) and 132.8 mg/dL (IQR 113.5-201.7), respectively, and only 36.8% (n=35) of patients were within their HbA1C therapeutic target range. Approximately 73.6% (n=70) of the patients used statins, but only 18 (18.9%) had LDL-c within their therapeutic target range. Twenty-seven patients (28.4%) had kidney dysfunction, either albuminuria or a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) reduction, and 6 of them (22.2%) did not use any nephroprotective medication. Fewer than half of the patients underwent fundoscopy, and 32.5% of them showed some degree of retinopathy. Neuropathy was present in 33 patients (34.7%), with 3 patients (3.16%) presenting with amputations.