TRENDS IN DIABETES TREATMENT AND CONTROL IN SURYAPET DIST

Background: To determine the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of diabetes mellitus (DM) and associated factors amongst adults (18–69 years) in Suryapet from the VKMHS. Methods: It was a comprehensive, cross-sectional survey conducted in 2022-23 on a sample of 12,000 households in 600 primary sampling units. In every household, one eligible adult aged 18–69 years was selected. Information on NCD risk factors and their health-seeking behaviors was collected. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and fasting capillary blood glucose were measured. DM was defined as fasting blood glucose (FBG) ≥126 mg/dl including those on medication. Awareness, treatment, and control of DM were defined as adults previously diagnosed with DM by a doctor, on prescribed medication for DM, and FBG <126 mg/dl, respectively. The weighted data are presented as mean and proportions with 95% CI. We applied the student t-test for continuous variables. Results: Prevalence of DM and impaired fasting blood glucose (IFG) in Suryapet was 9.3% and 24.5% respectively. Among those with DM, 45.8% were aware, 36.1% were on treatment and 15.7% had it under control. More than three-fourths of adults approached the allopathic practitioners for consultation (84.0%) and treatment (78.8%) for diabetes. Older adults were associated with an increased risk for DM [OR 8.89 (95% CI 6.66–11.87) and were 16 times more aware of DM. Better awareness, treatment and control levels were seen among adults with raised blood pressure and raised cholesterol. Conclusions: The prevalence of DM and IFG is high among adults, while the levels of awareness, treatment and control are still low in Suryapet, and this varied notably between the age groups. Multifaceted approaches that include improved awareness, adherence to treatment, better preventive and counseling services are crucial to halt diabetes in Suryapet. Also, expanding traditional systems of medicine (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy [AYUSH]) into diabetes prevention and control practices open solutions to manage this crisis.