Publication:

Assessment of risk factors, complications and treatment patterns of diabetic patients in India

Background Early identification of risk factors and comorbidities is essential for optimizing treatment strategies in diabetes. The diabetes in India (DIAB India) study aims to evaluate risk factors, glycemic status, comorbidities, and initial management choices in newly diagnosed T2DM

Methods A retrospective, observational, multicenter study was conducted with a large cohort of 19,230 patients pan India. Data was collected from patient health records and meticulously stored into a standard format. Demographic data (age, gender, weight, height, risk factors, and blood pressure), clinical presentation (family history, complications, glycemic indices, and comorbidities), and choice of management were recorded and used for analysis.

Results Obesity and family history were most common risk factors for T2DM and were significantly correlated with its severity (p<0.001). The most common comorbidity was neuropathy (59.8%) followed by nephropathy (27%) and CV events (25%). Obese patients have higher mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 8.4%, fasting blood glucose (FBG) (160 mg/dL), and postprandial blood glucose (PPBG) (233.6 mg/dL) compared to non-obese. Both single and combination therapies led to significant improvements in HbA1c (Single: pre- 7.47, post-6.87; Combination: pre-8.26, post-7.13), FBG (Single: pre-138.94, post-118.89; Combination: pre-161.21, post-128.2), and PPBG (Single: pre-200.88, post-163.83; Combination: pre-235.10, post-177.87) levels after treatment, with combination therapy showing greater reductions across all markers (p<0.001). The improvement in glycemic control was greater in patients who followed dietary advice (p<0.001).

Conclusions Obesity and family history were the most common risk factors contributing to diabetes in the newly diagnosed Indian patients. The comorbidities usually associated with diabetes are identified as neuropathy and cardiovascular conditions. While dietary measures are not widely used, significant improvement in glycemic status is reported using pharmacotherapy (monotherapy or combination). Choice of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments should be tailored to patient preferences, demographics, comorbidities, age, and other factors.