[Controlling diabetes mellitus and its complications in Medellín, Colombia, 2001-2003]. / El control de la diabetes mellitus y sus complicaciones en Medellín, Colombia, 2001-2003.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the principal sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral characteristics of patients participating in diabetic care programs in the city of Medellín, Colombia, and to evaluate progress toward the goal of metabolic control and diabetic care standards. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was done, analyzing the clinical records of patients who had been participating for at least 6 months in the diabetic care programs of nine health care centers in Medellín. The study period ran from January 2001 to December 2003. The following data were collected: sociodemographic (age and sex), clinical (time since disease onset, diabetes type and treatment, and concurrent illnesses and their treatment), lifestyle habits (exercise routine, smoking, and sugar and fat consumption), chronic complications, and laboratory test results from the prior year. Questionable or missing data were categorized as unavailable. RESULTS: Of the 3 583 clinical histories evaluated, we were able to confirm the form of diabetes for 3 554 patients. Of those 3 554, 95.1% had type 2 diabetes. Overall, 56.9% (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 55.2% to 58.6%) of the patients exercised regularly, 15.1% (95% CI: 13.9% to 16.3%) were current smokers, 17.7% (95% CI: 16.4% to 19.0%) were former smokers, and 67.2% (95% CI: 65.6% to 68.8%) had never smoked. In all, 21.0% (95% CI: 19.6% to 22.5%) of the patients consumed sugar regularly, while 24.8% (95% CI: 23.3% to 26.3%) consumed fats and only 19.5% (95% CI: 17.8% to 21.3%) were self-monitoring their glucose levels at least weekly. Among the type 2 diabetics, 68.8% had high blood pressure, and 98.2% had dyslipidemia. The average body mass index was 28.0 kg/m(2) (95% CI: 27.8 to 28.2). The average number of medications that the patients were taking to treat type 2 diabetes was 1.3; to treat high blood pressure, 1.9; and to treat dyslipidemia, 0.6. There were no data on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in 44.8% of the clinical records, and no data on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in 16.4% of the records. Among the complications, the most common were ocular ones (31.8%; 95% CI: 30.1% to 33.5%), followed by renal ones (25.9%; 95% CI: 24.4% to 27.5%), and cardiovascular ones (22.5%; 95% CI: 21.1% to 23.8%). Cholesterol control achievement was inadequate for LDL (reached by only 14.2% of the patients), for triglycerides (36.9% of patients), and HDL (47.4% of patients). CONCLUSIONS: Among the study population in Medellín, the three chronic complications with the greatest impact on prognosis and health care costs of the diabetics were nephropathy, retinopathy, and dyslipidemia. The noticeable amount of unavailable data in the clinical records could be greatly reduced by standardizing the clinical record forms and by periodic quality checks of the records themselves.

El control de la diabetes mellitus y sus complicaciones en Medellín, Colombia, 2001-2003 / Controlling diabetes mellitus and its complications in Medellín, Colombia, 2001-2003

OBJETIVOS: Identificar las principales características sociodemográficas, clínicas y conductuales de los pacientes que participaban en los programas de atención al diabético en Medellín, Colombia, y evaluar el cumplimiento de las metas de control metabólico y de los estándares de control en el diabético. MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal mediante el análisis de las historias clínicas de todos los pacientes que asistían a los programas de atención al diabético desde al menos 6 meses en nueve instituciones de salud entre enero de 2001 y diciembre de 2003. Se tomaron datos sociodemográficos (edad y sexo), clínicos (tiempo de evolución de la enfermedad, tipo y tratamiento de la diabetes y enfermedades concurrentes y su tratamiento), sobre los hábitos de vida (práctica de ejercicios físicos, hábito de fumar y consumo de azúcar y grasas) y sobre las complicaciones crónicas y los resultados de las pruebas de laboratorio del último año. Todos los datos confusos o faltantes se registraron como ausentes. RESULTADOS: De las 3 583 historias clínicas evaluadas, se logró conocer el tipo de diabetes que padecían 3 554 pacientes, de ellos 95,1 por ciento correspondieron a pacientes con diabetes tipo 2. En general, 56,9 por ciento (intervalo de confianza de 95 por ciento [IC95 por ciento]: 55,2 a 58,6 por ciento) de los pacientes realizaban ejercicios periódicos; 15,1 por ciento (IC95 por ciento: 13,9 a 16,3 por ciento) aún fumaba en el momento del corte, 17,7 por ciento (IC95 por ciento: 16,4 a 19,0 por ciento) había dejado de fumar y 67,2 por ciento (IC95 por ciento: 65,6 a 68,8 por ciento) nunca había fumado. En total, 21,0 por ciento (IC95 por ciento: 19,6 a 22,5 por ciento) de los pacientes consumía azúcar regularmente, mientras 24,8 por ciento (IC95 por ciento: 23,3 a 26,3 por ciento) consumía grasas y solo 19,5 por ciento (IC95 por ciento: 17,8 a 21,3 por ciento) realizaba automonitoreo de la glucemia con una frecuencia semanal...

OBJECTIVES: To identify the principal sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral characteristics of patients participating in diabetic care programs in the city of Medellín, Colombia, and to evaluate progress toward the goal of metabolic control and diabetic care standards. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was done, analyzing the clinical records of patients who had been participating for at least 6 months in the diabetic care programs of nine health care centers in Medellín. The study period ran from January 2001 to December 2003. The following data were collected: sociodemographic (age and sex), clinical (time since disease onset, diabetes type and treatment, and concurrent illnesses and their treatment), lifestyle habits (exercise routine, smoking, and sugar and fat consumption), chronic complications, and laboratory test results from the prior year. Questionable or missing data were categorized as unavailable. RESULTS: Of the 3 583 clinical histories evaluated, we were able to confirm the form of diabetes for 3 554 patients. Of those 3 554, 95.1 percent had type 2 diabetes. Overall, 56.9 percent (95 percent confidence interval (95 percent CI): 55.2 percent to 58.6 percent) of the patients exercised regularly, 15.1 percent (95 percent CI: 13.9 percent to 16.3 percent) were current smokers, 17.7 percent (95 percent CI: 16.4 percent to 19.0 percent) were former smokers, and 67.2 percent (95 percent CI: 65.6 percent to 68.8 percent) had never smoked. In all, 21.0 percent (95 percent CI: 19.6 percent to 22.5 percent) of the patients consumed sugar regularly, while 24.8 percent (95 percent CI: 23.3 percent to 26.3 percent) consumed fats and only 19.5 percent (95 percent CI: 17.8 percent to 21.3 percent) were self-monitoring their glucose levels at least weekly. Among the type 2 diabetics, 68.8 percent had high blood pressure, and 98.2 percent had dyslipidemia. The average body mass index was 28.0 kg/m² (95 percent CI: 27.8 to...