Obesity and Diabetes Type 2-Related Complications

Background: Obesity and diabetes are common public health problems among Saudis. Among diabetics, weight management is more challenging, because of the weight-promoting effect of most glucose-lowering therapies. Aim of study: To investigate if central obesity is associated with development of complications among type 2 diabetic patients. Patients and Methods: During February 2015, a total of 111 (39 males and 72 females) type 2 Saudi diabetics attending the Diabetics Clinic at King Salman North West Armed Forces Hospital, Tabuk City, Saudi Arabia, were included in this study. Collected data included Patients’ demographic characteristics, blood pressure, waist and hip circumference as well as microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes. Obesity was defined as having waist-to-hip ratio above the acceptable range (i.e., <0.8 among females and <0.9 among females). Results: Mean age of participants (SD) was 55.4 (12.6) years. According to the waist-to-hip ratio, 89 patients (80.2%) were obese. Two thirds of patients were hypertensive (66.7%), 21.6% had retinopathy, 17.1% had nephropathy, 14.4% had polyneuropathy, 17.1% had diabetic foot, while 19.8% had coronary artery disease. Prevalence rates for all complications among type 2 diabetics were higher among obese than non-obese patients, with significant differences regarding hypertension (p=0.004), retinopathy (p=0.030) diabetic foot (p=0.017); nephropathy (p=0.015) and coronary artery disease (p=0.045). Conclusions: Prevalence of obesity is high among type 2 Saudi diabetics. Diabetes related complications are more common among obese diabetics. Weight reduction is an important step toward prevention of diabetes-related microvascular and macrovascular complications.