A recent study has highlighted KwaZulu-Natal as having a particularly high burden of diabetic patients, with the authors recommending that healthcare providers in the province pay more attention to lipid profiles, in efforts to prevent cardiovascular complications.
Diabetes is the second highest underlying cause of natural death in South Africa, and the leading underlying natural cause of death in women, reports News24.
The study by Nokukhanya Thembane and Minenhle Madlala from the department of biomedical sciences at Mangosuthu University of Technology investigated the lipid profile, fasting glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin levels among diabetic patients in KZN, and was published in Student’s Journal Health Research Africa.
For their research, the team analysed a total of 160 serum sample data from the laboratory information system, with 80 diabetic patients and 80 non-diabetic people as controls.
The two groups measured and compared lipid profiles, fasting glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin levels.
They found the diabetic patients had significantly higher levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and considerably lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol than non-diabetic people.
“One of the predisposing factors to diabetes is obesity, which is hallmarked by high serum lipid content,” they wrote. Diabetic patients also had a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease, heart disease and sudden cardiac death.
The data also suggest differences in diabetes prevalence between ethnic groups and genders.
The highest prevalence was in the Indian ethnic group, with 23.36% of males and 22.43% of females having diabetes, followed by the white ethnic group with 13% of males and 11% of females having diabetes.
Coloured and African black populations have lower prevalence rates, with coloured females having the highest prevalence rate of 5% and African-black males of 4%.
The authors said the findings might have implications for regional healthcare providers and policymakers responsible for managing diabetes.
“Our findings suggest healthcare providers should pay more attention to lipid profiles and glycaemic control among diabetic patients to prevent cardiovascular complications. The findings also suggest that diabetic patients have dyslipidaemia and poor glycaemic control, which could increase their risk of cardiovascular complications.”
Dyslipidaemia is a common comorbidity in diabetes and a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetics.
The authors said policymakers could use the information in the study to design targeted public health campaigns and allocate resources more effectively to address diabetes in the region.
Study details
A retrospective study evaluating glycaemic control and lipid profiles in diabetic patients from KwaZulu-Natal
Nokukhanya Thembane and Minenhle Madlala.
Published in Student’s Journal of Health Research Africa in June 2023
Abstract
Background
This study aimed to investigate the lipid profile of diabetic patients in KwaZulu-Natal, a region with a high burden of diabetes. Dyslipidaemia is a common comorbidity in diabetes and a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients.
Methodology
A total of 160 serum sample data were analysed from the laboratory information system, including 80 diabetic patients and 80 non-diabetic individuals as controls. Lipid profiles, fasting glucose, and glycosylated haemoglobin levels were measured and compared between the two groups. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data, and inferential statistics were used to compare means between groups.
Results
The study found that diabetic patients in KZN had significantly higher levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and significantly lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, compared to non
-diabetic individuals.
The mean TC, TG, LDL, and HDL levels were 5.5 mmol/L, 2.5 mmol/L, 3.5 mmol/L, and 1.0 mmol/L, respectively, in diabetic patients, and 4.4 mmol/L, 1.4 mmol/L, 2.4 mmol/L, and 1.4 mmol/L, respectively, in non-diabetic individuals.
Conclusion
The study underscores the importance of early detection and management of lipid abnormalities in diabetic patients in KZN to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The findings have implications for healthcare providers and policymakers in the region who are responsible for addressing the burden of diabetes and its complications.
Recommendation
Further studies with larger sample sizes and in different regions of South Africa are needed to investigate the prevalence of dyslipidaemia and poor glycaemic control in diabetic patients. Such studies can inform the development of tailored interventions to improve cardiovascular outcomes in diabetic patients in South Africa and other regions of the world with a high burden of diabetes.
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