Chronic Complications of Diabetes in Iraq: Experience from Southern Iraq

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of chronic complications in type 2 diabetic patients in Basrah (Southern Iraq). Methods: This was a longitudinal descriptive study for patients with diabetes registered in Al-Faiha Diabetes and Endocrine Centre in Basrah (Southern Iraq) for the period from April 2003 to end of February 2009. Results: Out of 4,926 patients enrolled, 51.0% were women, mean age was 55.0 ± 13.1 years and 67.6% were overweight or obese. Those with duration of diabetes more than 5 years constituted 50.6% and only 25.3% were on insulin. Mean Hemoglobin A1C was 9.3 ± 2.0. The prevalence of the 16 complications studied were as follows: Hypertension in 31.0%, peripheral neuropathy in 13.8%, ischemic heart disease in 7.8%, proteinuria in 6.6%, cereberovascular accident in 4.6%, interdigital fungal infection in 4.3%, heart failure in 3.4%, and erectile dysfunction in 6.0%. In this study 2.8% of patients died of cardiovascular causes, 2.7% developed diabetic foot, 2.4% had non-alcoholic fatty liver, 0.7% had amputation, 0.4% developed ophthalmoplegia, 0.2% had peripheral vascu- lar disease, and 0.04% developed mucormycosis. The chronic complications which were more seen in those with diabetes more than 5 years were hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, ischemic heart disease, proteinuria, cereberovascular accident, heart failure, erectile dysfunction, cardiovascular death, diabetic foot, amputation and peripheral vascular disease. Conclusion: This study provided the baseline for chronic complications of diabetes in Iraq. Screening for early complications is recommended.