METABOLIC SYNDROME AMONG PEOPLE WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS IN TWO SELECTED HOSPITALS IN THE BRONG AHAFO REGION

Abstract

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a condition characterised by the clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors such as obesity, hyperglycaemia, dyslipidaemia and high blood pressure. The condition frequently occurs among people with T2DM. The metabolic syndrome is associated with adverse health effects such as heart attack, stroke and other diseases involving the blood vessel. It is linked to more than two-fold increase risk of mortality compared with those without the syndrome. Despite knowledge about the health effects, there is limited dating on the prevalence, clustering and associated risk factors of the syndrome in Sub-Saharan Africa. More information is needed to guide health systems in the region to respond adequately to the increasing burden of these metabolic abnormalities. This was one of the rare studies that investigated the prevalence and associated risk factors of METs among people with T2DM using the harmonised definition and the continuous MSR score approach. The study also sought to identify the common components driving the METs burden in the study area. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted and METs was assessed using the harmonised definition and the continuous MSR score approaches. Data was collect between 1st and 27th June, 2016 at two hospitals in Dormaa and Berekum Municipalities respectively. Adults (aged 30-79 years) with type 2 diabetes mellitus who attended routine diabetes clinics were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Medical records were used to confirm the type 2 diabetes mellitus status of participants. Weight, height, waist circumference, and BP were measured using standard procedures. Blood samples were also analysed for blood glucose, triglycerides, and HDL-cholesterol. Multiple logistic analyses model was used to explore the associated risk factors of METs measured as a binary outcome, whiles multiple linear regression was used to measure the risk factors of METs measured as a continuous risk score. Results: Data was collected from 430 participants. The mean age of participants was 58.8 years. The prevalence of the METs measured as a binary outcome was 68.6% (95% CI: 64.0 -72.8). The prevalence of the syndrome was higher in women (76.3%) than in men (58.0%). The odds of METs in women was 2.2 times (95% CI: 1.29 - 3.58, p=0.003) that of men. Duration of T2DM was predictive of the binary METs (OR 5.2, 95% CI: 2.90 - 9.31, p