Glycemic control and its predictors among iranian diabetic patients

Abstract

This study evaluated the prevalence of poor glycemic control and factors associated with it among patients with type 2 diabetes in northern Iran. Totally, 367 patients (132 men and 235 women) were studied and data on their age, sex, body weight, height, weight gain in adulthood, blood pressure, lipid profile, hemoglobin A1C values, educational levels, living area, doing exercise, between meal snack and pharmacologic treatment were collected. Glycemic control was categorized as good control if A1C<7% and poor glycemic control if A1C≥7%. These data showed that 73.3% of the study patient had A1C≥7%(women 71.9% and men 75.8%, p < 0.68) and they had poorer metabolic control in most of laboratory parameters including blood lipid levels than good control group. In univariate analysis patients with good glycemic control were more educated, younger and were less likely to be treated with insulin than poor control patients. Poor and good glycemic patients were not different in frequency of doing regular exercise, weight gain, income levels and between meal eating behaviors. In multivariate analysis having a positive genetic background OR= 11.6 (1.4-23.9 p > 0.02) was positively and age >60 y OR= 6.8 (1.108-22.8 p < 0.03) was negatively related to glycemic control in these patients. In conclusion, a considerable proportion of these Iranian patients had poor glycemic control. These data showed that glycemic control is more difficult to obtain with increasing age indicating that duration of diabetes and delaying appropriate treatment play role in poor glycemic control.