Associated clinical factors of diabetic complications in Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes

Background: The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) is high among Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. There is limited evidence in understanding the relationships between individual-level clinical indicators of MetS and diabetes complications among Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes. Aims and Objectives: This study described the characteristics of patients with Type 2 diabetes in terms of the prevalence of MetS and clinical factors related to the common diabetes complications. Materials and Methods: Patients (n = 402) with Type 2 diabetes admitted to a tertiary hospital in Beijing were included in the study. Using patients' retrospective data, logistic regression was applied to determine the associated clinical factors of common diabetic complications. Results: In this sample, the prevalence of MetS was 84.3%, with the prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, microvascular, and macrovascular complications being 59.7%, 63.4%, and 61.7%, respectively. Our results showed that the diastolic blood pressure was significantly associated with diabetic retinopathy, while the levels of C peptide and fasting glucose were significantly related to diabetic nephropathy. Meanwhile, the regression also showed that the waist to hip ratio (WHR) is a significant indicator for the development of macrovascular complications. A 0.1 increase in the WHR will increase the chances of having carotid artery disease by 1.29 folds. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates that the prevalence of MetS and the common diabetic complications are relevantly high in this sample. Our findings suggest that reducing the WHR, controlling blood pressure, and improving glycemic control following clinical guidelines are essential to prevent or slow the progression of diabetes complications among patients with Type 2 diabetes.