Risk Factors in Type 2 Diabetics Attending Medical Out-Patient Clinic of a Teaching Hospital

ABSTRACT. To study the different types of anti-diabetic treatment used in Type-2 diabetics attending King Abdulaziz University Hos-pital out-patient medical clinic and to determine their mortality risk factors, a random sample of 426 Type 2 diabetics was selected to par-ticipate in the study. Demographic data were collected as well as their nationality, duration of diabetes, degree of blood glucose con-trol, type of antidiabetic treatment (oral hypoglycemic agents and their type, insulin or combined, presence of obesity, presence of hy-perlipidemia, presence of hypertension, presence of ischemic heart disease, presence of renal failure, presence of stroke or transit is-chemic attack, smoking (active or passive), and mortality. The mean age of the study group was 49 years with male:female ratio of 1.9:1. The mean duration of diabetes was 11 years. Oral hypoglycemic agents were the most frequently used antidiabetic treatment; 57% versus 36 % insulin and 7 % combined oral hypoglycaemic and in-sulin. Glibenclamide followed by metformin were the most common used oral hypoglycemic agents: 57 % and 51%, respectively, while Repaglinide, rosiglitazone were used in 7 % and 4%, respectively. On multiple regression analysis after adjustment to all factors and sex; presence of ischemic heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and poor glycemic control were the most significant risk factors as-sociated with mortality; O.R. 7.3, 2.07, 2.99, 2.76 (95 % C.I. 2.1-D. H. Akbar et al.7