Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of a diabetic population at a tertiary care center in Assam, India

Abstract Aims: To elucidate the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) attending a tertiary care hospital in Dibrugarh, Assam. Subjects and Methods: A total of 132 T2DM patients (74 males and 48 females) were included in the study. Patients were evaluated with detailed history, meticulous examination, and laboratory investigations and given a detailed interview questionnaire to fill out. Statistical Analysis Used: Graph Pad Prism, published by GraphPad Software, Inc., California. Results: The highest prevalence was found in the age group 41–50 years (28%). A large number of the study population (35%) was sedentary. It was observed that the body mass index was over the normal range in 42% of the study subjects. Central obesity was observed in 76 patients (58%). Only 9% of the patients had managed to achieve good glycemic control (<6.5%). In our study, 39% of the patients were taking the prescribed medications irregularly. A significant proportion of the study subjects had associated comorbidities such as hypertension (50%), obesity (42%), and dyslipidemia (37%). Fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin levels were elevated in both males and females. The values were higher in males, but statistically, the difference was not significant. Conclusions: The present study revealed that poor glycemic control, irregular medication intake, obesity, dyslipidemia, sedentary lifestyles, and hypertension were prevalent in T2DM patients. Hence, the overall risk profile in patients from Assam was very poor and needs improvement. These data can support health professionals' actions to effectively maintain and provide a more comprehensive approach to management of T2DM.