Control to Target of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors among Type 2 Diabetic Out-Patients: An Experience from A Tertiary Health Facility in South-Eastern Nigeria

Background: Clusters of cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs) are very common in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects, placing them at increased risk of cardiac events. Objective: To evaluate the status of control of the CMRFs and its associations among T2DM subjects at NAUTH, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study that evaluated 228 T2DM out-patients seen at NAUTH. Relevant data were extracted with a researcher-designed study proforma and anthropometric measurements done. Biochemical tests: glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fasting lipid profile (FLP) were done. Data was analysed using SPSS version 28. Categorical and continuous variables were summarized using frequencies and percentages and mean and standard deviation respectively and results presented in tables. Associations of the CMRFs were tested using Chi-square test. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: There were 114 male and female subjects with mean age and mean duration of DM of 59.35±14.82 years and 9.97 ± 7.94 years respectively. There was suboptimal control for HbA1c, FPG, abdominal and global obesity but not for systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP & DBP), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG). Besides TG, optimal control of HbA1c was significantly associated with educational level; FBG with antihypertensive medication use; abdominal obesity with sex and use of lipid lowering medications; SBP with age, marital status and antihypertensive medications use; DBP with DM treatment and antihypertensive medications use; TC with educational level; HDL-C with sex and educational level; LDL-C with sex and type of DM treatment and finally; dyslipidaemia with sex, educational level and the use of lipid lowering medications. Conclusion: There was suboptimal control of most of the CMRFs evaluated among the subjects. With the exception of TG, there was significant association between optimal control of the CMRFs and some of the socio-clinical determinants evaluated.