One-year Follow-up of the Distribution of Dyslipidemias among Cameroonian Diabetic Patients in Ngaoundere, 2014-2015

Abstract

Background: Diabetes constitutes an important faction of the health and economic burden worldwide and its occurrence continues to rise especially in developing countries. Aim: To study the distribution in dyslipidemia occurrence over a period of 1 year in a diabetic and non-diabetic population in Ngaoundere. Methodology: This was a cross sectional case control study carried out at the Hypertension and Diabetes units of the Ngaoundere Regional and Protestant Hospitals from June 2015 to February 2016. All participants provided a written consent and were subjected to a questionnaire. Blood pressure and anthropometric parameters were measured and venous blood collected for fasting blood glucose, lipid profile, glycated hemoglobin and uric acid analysis using commercially acquired kits. Data were organized and analyzed using an Excel spreadsheet and SPSS version 20.0. respectively, with statistical significance considered at p < 0.05. Results: Of the 321 participants enrolled, 191 were diabetic and 130 non-diabetic having sex ratios (F/M) of 1.3 and 1.1 respectively. Compared to the 73.3% dyslipidemia, 28.9% hypercholesterolemia, 15.6% hypertriglyceridemia and 28.9% mixed hyperlipidemia reported by the authors in the same diabetic population a year earlier, the occurrence of dyslipidemias, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and mixed hyperlipidemia were 59.7%, 49.5%, 7.0% and 3.2%. Likewise, similar trends were observed with the corresponding non-diabetic control groups. 39 patients (20.4%) and 29 controls (22.3%) had knowledge on cholesterol, while 9.9% of diabetic participants had tested for blood cholesterol levels at some point. Conclusion: We observed meaningful drops in the occurrence of hypertriglyceridemia, mixed hyperlipidemia, and a rise in hypercholesterolemia among diabetics and nondiabetics, with a low level of awareness on dyslipidemias. Much is needed in sensitizing and controlling cardiometabolic risks towards improving the management of diabetic patients in our context.