Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The chronic hyperglycemia related to inadequately controlled diabetes is involved in the onset of degenerative complications, responsible for disabilities. The objective of the present study was to determine the long-term complications observed in hospitalized patients with diabetes.

Methods: We used a prospective study conducted in the department of diabetology in the National Institute of Nutrition (Tunisia). This work was carried out on the medical records of hospitalized patients. Diabetics with less than 10 years of diabetes evolution were not included.

Results: We collected 48 patients: 18 men and 30 women. the majority have type 2 diabetes (79%). For the type 1 diabetic group, the mean age was 35.2±10 years and the mean glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level was 9±1%. The mean age of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) was 65.7±8.4 years and the mean HbA1c level was 10.7±1.5%. Almost the half of T2D patients (49%) had diabetic retinopathy. It was minimal, moderate and proliferative in 35%, 18% and 47% of the cases, respectively. In type 1 diabetics (T1DM), retinopathy was observed in 70% of patients. In this case, minimal, moderate and proliferative retinopathy were found in 58%, 28% and 14% of the cases, respectively. Diabetic nephropathy was present in 47% of T2DM and in 10% of T1DM. Peripheral neuropathy was mentioned in 26% of T2DM and in 10% of T1DM. For the T2DM group, macroangiopathy affected 39% of hospitalized patients: 21% had coronary artery disease, 13% had chronic arterial occlusive disease of the lower extremities and 5% had a history of ischemic stroke. We did not found similar anomalies in the T1DM group. In the present data, no significant correlation was observed between the onset of chronic diabetic complications and the HbA1c level or age of diabetes (P = NS).

Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetes-related complications is increasing but often underestimated. Early screening of these complications may allow a better management.