Prevalence of Complications in Type 2 Diabetics in Dubai, UAE: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Diabetes complications have been increasingly prevalent among type 2 diabetics during the past decades causing high rates of morbidity and mortality. Measures of the prevalence of diabetes complications will lead to preventive decisions and planning of health care. The main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence rates of complications in Type 2 diabetics in two Diabetes Centers in Dubai. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive analytical study conducted among type 2 diabetics attending diabetes centers in Dubai. Data was collected form secondary source using patients' records from two diabetes centers involved in the study. Random sampling technique was used to collect 150 patients proportionally allocated according to the total patients (4700 attending patients) available in the two diabetes centers. Data obtained was analyzed using SPSS v.22. Descriptive statistics were calculated (mean, standard deviation, and percentages). Chi-square test was used to compare frequencies between groups. The significance level was set at 0.05. Results: The study showed that the most dominant prevalence type of complications were: Hyperlipidemia (84%), Neuropathy (34%), Dyslipidemia (32%), Retinopathy (28%), Lethargy (21.3%), and Nephropathy (16.7%). The associations made between three variables each separately (Date of First Visit, HbA1c, and Fasting Blood Glucose) with the prevalence type of complications, showed significant differences in some types: Dyslipidemia, Hyperlipidemia, Neuropathy, Retinopathy, and Joint & Bone pain.  Conclusions: There is a reasonable correlation between different variables and the prevalence of complications among the diabetic population, thus studies should always follow up on this issue in order to have clear associations to prevent complications from occurring in the first place.