Clinical pattern of childhood type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in the Sudan

Health system capacity to manage diabetic ketoacidosis in nine low-income and lower-middle income countries: A cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative survey data

Background

There has been increasing awareness about the importance of type 1 diabetes (T1D) globally. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening complication of T1D in low-income settings. Little is known about health system capacity to manage DKA in low- and lower-middle income countries (LLMICs). As such, we describe health system capacity to diagnose and manage DKA across nine LLMICs using data from Service Provision Assessments.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we used data from Service Provision Assessment (SPA) surveys, which are part of the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Program. We defined an item set to diagnose and manage DKA in higher-level (tertiary or secondary) facilities, and a set to assess and refer patients presenting to lower-level (primary) facilities. We quantified each item's availability by service level in Bangladesh (Survey 1: May 22 2014-Jul 20 2014; Survey 2: Jul 2017-Oct 2017), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (Oct 16 2017-Nov 24 2017 in Kinshasha; Aug 08 2018-Apr 20 2018 in rest of country), Haiti (Survey 1: Mar 05 2013-Jul 2013; Survey 2: Dec 16 2017-May 09 2018), Ethiopia (Feb 06 2014-Mar 09 2014), Malawi (Phase 1: Jun 11 2013-Aug 20 2013; Phase 2: Nov 13 2013-Feb 7 2014), Nepal (Phase 1: Apr 20 2015-Apr 25 2015; Phase 2: Jun 04 2015-Nov 05 2015), Senegal (Survey 1: Jan 2014-Oct 2014; Survey 2: Feb 09 2015-Nov 10 2015; Survey 3: Feb 2016-Nov 2016; Survey 4: Mar 13 2017-Dec 15 2017; Survey 5: Apr 15 2018-Dec 31 2018; Survey 6: Apr 15 2019-Feb 28 2020), Tanzania (Oct 20 2014-Feb 21 2015), and Afghanistan (Nov 1 2018-Jan 20 2019). Variation in secondary facilities' capacity and trends over time were also explored.

Findings

We examined data from 2028 higher-level and 7534 lower-level facilities. Of these, 1874 higher-level and 6636 lower-level facilities' data were eligible for analysis. Availability of all item sets were low at higher-level facilities, where less than 50% had the minimal set of supplies, less than 20% had the full minimal set, and less than 15% had the ideal set needed to diagnose and manage DKA. Across countries in lower-level facilities, less than 14% had the minimal set of supplies and less than 9% the full set of supplies for diagnosis and transfer of DKA patients. No country had more than 20% of facilities with the minimal set of items needed to assess or manage DKA. Where data were available for more than one survey (Bangladesh, Senegal, and Haiti), changes in availability of the minimal set and ideal set of items did not exceed 15%. Tertiary facilities performed best in Haiti, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nepal, Senegal, Tanzania, and Afghanistan. Secondary facilities that were rural, public, and had fewer staff had lower capacity.

Interpretation

Health system capacity to manage DKA was low across these nine LLMICs. Although efforts are underway to strengthen health systems, a specific focus on DKA management is still needed.

Funding

Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Ltd.

Estimating the total incidence of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents aged 0-19 years from 1990 to 2050: a global simulation-based analysis

BACKGROUND

Previous studies of type 1 diabetes in childhood and adolescence have found large variations in reported incidence around the world. However, it is unclear whether these reported incidence levels are impacted by differences in country health systems and possible underdiagnosis and if so, to what degree. The aim of this study was to estimate both the total and diagnosed incidence of type 1 diabetes globally and to project childhood type 1 diabetes incidence indicators from 1990 to 2050 for each country.

METHODS

We developed the type 1 diabetes global microsimulation model to simulate the natural history and diagnosis of type 1 diabetes for children and adolescents (aged 0-19 years) in 200 countries and territories, accounting for variability in underlying incidence and health system performance. The model follows an open population of children and adolescents in monthly intervals and simulates type 1 diabetes incidence and progression, as well as health system factors which influence diagnosis. We calibrated the model to published data on type 1 diabetes incidence, autoantibody profiles, and proportion of cases diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis from 1990 to 2020 and assessed the predictive accuracy using a randomly sampled test set of data withheld from calibration.

FINDINGS

We estimate that in 2021 there were 355 900 (95% UI 334 200-377 300) total new cases of type 1 diabetes globally among children and adolescents, of which 56% (200 400 cases, 95% UI 180 600-219 500) were diagnosed. Estimated underdiagnosis varies substantially by region, with over 95% of new cases diagnosed in Australia and New Zealand, western and northern Europe, and North America, but less than 35% of new cases diagnosed in west Africa, south and southeastern Asia, and Melanesia. The total number of incident childhood cases of type 1 diabetes is projected to increase to 476 700 (95% UI 449 500-504 300) in 2050.

INTERPRETATION

Our research indicates that the total global incidence of childhood and adolescent type 1 diabetes is larger than previously estimated, with nearly one-in-two children currently undiagnosed. Policymakers should plan for adequate diagnostic and medical capacity to improve timely type 1 diabetes detection and treatment, particularly as incidence is projected to increase worldwide, with highest numbers of new cases in Africa.

FUNDING

Novo Nordisk.

HbA1c variability and the development of nephropathy in individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus from Rwanda

AIM

To estimate the incidence and prevalence of nephropathy and investigate whether high and fluctuating HbA_1c levels were associated with development of nephropathy among T1 diabetes individuals in Rwanda.

METHODS

From 2009 to 2018, 471 T1 diabetes individuals from Rwanda were assessed for nephropathy (albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) ≥ 30 mg/g). We calculated the mean HbA_1c (HbA_1c-MEAN) and two measures of HbA_1c variability, i.e. A): intra-individual standard deviation (HbA_1c-SD), adjusted for HbA_1c assessments (HbA_1c-AdjSD) and coefficient of variation (HbA_1c-CV) and B): (number of HbA_1c variability measures > 11 mmol/mol between two measures/number of comparisons between measurements)*100. We followed individuals from first ACR-measurement (baseline) until nephropathy, death or last ACR-measurement (end-of-follow-up), and calculated HRs for developing nephropathy using Cox-regression.

RESULTS

The incidence and prevalence of nephropathy were 25% and 40%, respectively. All HbA_1c variability measures were associated with lower HRs of developing nephropathy, i.e. individuals with HbA1c-AdjSD levels of 0.8-1.5%, 1.5-2.1% and > 4.1% had 53% (95 %CI:0.26;0.86), 55% (95 %CI:0.25;0.82) and 53% (95 %CI:0.26;0.84) lower HRs, respectively, of nephropathy compared to individuals with HbA1c-AdjSD < 0.8%. Results did not change after adjustments, though some estimates were no longer significant. Individuals with adjusted HbA_1c-MEAN 9.9-11.4% and > 11.4% had HRs of 1.7 (95 %CI: 0.87;3.32) and 1.8 (95 %CI: 0.94;3.50) compared to individuals with HbA_1c-MEAN of 4.9-8.5%.

CONCLUSION

The incidence and prevalence of nephropathy was high. Higher mean HbA_1c was associated with higher HRs of developing nephropathy whereas higher HbA_1c variability was associated with lower HRs of nephropathy. This indicates that higher HbA_1c levels rather than fluctuating HbA_1c levels is a risk factor for developing nephropathy.

Incidence and predictors of diabetic ketoacidosis among children with diabetes in west and east Gojjam zone referral hospitals, northern Ethiopia, 2019

Background

Recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis in patients with known diabetes mellitus remains a relevant problem in pediatrics with an incidence of 1–10% per patient. Children may die because of cerebral edema and had a significant mortality (24%) and morbidity (35%).

Objective

We assessed the incidence and predictors of diabetic ketoacidosis among diabetes children at East and West Gojjam zone referral hospitals, North West Ethiopia, 2019.

Methods

An institution-based retrospective follow up study was conducted on children who were registered from January 1, 2014, to January 1, 2019. Epi data version 3.1 & Stata 14 were used for data entering and analysis respectively.

Result

Out of 354 children included in the study, 207 (58.5%) developed diabetic ketoacidosis. The overall incidence rate of diabetic ketoacidosis was 2.27/100 children/month of observation. Age < 5 years (AHR: 3.52, 95% CI (2.25, 5.49), non-adherence (AHR: 1.54, 95% CI (1.11, 2.14), inappropriate insulin storage (AHR: 1.36, 95% CI (1.008, 1.85), presence of upper respiratory tract infections during diabetic ketoacidosis diagnose (AHR: 2.22, 95% CI (1.11, 4.45) and preceding gastroenteritis (AHR: 2.18, 95% CI (1.07, 4.44) were significant predictors.

Conclusion

Age < 5 years old, non-adherence, inappropriate insulin placement at home, preceding gastroenteritis, and presence of upper respiratory tract infections at the time of diabetic ketoacidosis development were significant predictors. Hence, assessing and close monitoring as well as strengthened diabetic education should be given for the above predictors.

Frequency and severity of ketoacidosis at diagnosis among childhood type 1 diabetes in Khartoum state, Sudan

BACKGROUND

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life threatening acute complication of Type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM). This study aimed to determine the frequency and clinical characteristics of pediatric DKA at diagnosis of new-onset T1DM in Khartoum during 2000-2017 period.

METHODS

The study was retrospective and involved review of medical files of children (<15 years) with T1DM in the city hospitals and diabetes centers.

RESULTS

The overall frequency of DKA among T1DM children at onset of disease diagnosis was 17.6% (173/982). The episodes of DKA increased from 26% in first 6- year period (2000-2005) to 46.3% in the last 6-year period (2011-2012; p<0.001). No significant difference in the frequency of DKA was observed according to gender (p=0.9) and age (p=0.24). Compared to other age groups, the severity of DKA (pH<7.1) was higher in pre-school children (p<0.01). Approximately, 5% of patients were complicated with cerebral edema with a mortality rate of 1.7%.

CONCLUSION

The DKA frequency at diagnosis of childhood T1DM in Khartoum was lower than previous reports. In addition, the severity of DKA was high among pre-school age children with a relatively high mortality rate when compared to the global rate.

Malnutrition-Modulated Diabetes Mellitus in Children, Rare Disease with Atypical Presentation: Case Report

AIM

Atypical diabetes is commonly reported in Africa. The objective of this case report is to highlight an unusual case of thin, severely hyperglycemic and ketone resistant teenager with history and signs of chronic under-nutrition to raise the awareness of clinicians on the existence of atypical phenotype of diabetes not fitting the current classification of diabetes.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 17-year-old male patient, known diabetic, was diagnosed in the health center as type1 diabetes for 8 months. He was on insulin for 3 months and discontinued for 5 months. He presented with polydipsia, polyuria, and weight loss since he discontinued the drug. On examination, he was severely wasted and underweight with unexplained bilateral parotid enlargement. On investigations;, he had hyperglycemic, glucosuria but no ketonuria. The patient was admitted with the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and severe acute malnutrition. He started insulin (1IU/Kg/day) subcutaneously and nutritional management. On follow-up, RBS and FBS remained high and insulin was escalated to 3.32 IU/kg/day. Subsequently, serial RBS and FBS, the measurements were in the acceptable range and the patient was gaining weight. As the weight increases, his demand for insulin was decreased and the dose of insulin was de-escalated to 1.2 IU/Kg/day over 3 months. Finally, the patient was discharged with 1.2 IU/Kg/day with a weight of 44 kg over 4 months of hospital course with the diagnosis of malnutrition-modulated diabetes. Now, the patient is in diabetic clinic follow-up with good glycemic control.

CONCLUSION

Though there are unclear and uncertainties in malnutrition-modulated diabetes mellitus, clinicians need a high index of suspicion to reach the diagnosis especially in those countries where malnutrition is common. Early diagnosis and appropriate management of the patients demand are important in patient care and outcome.

Incidence, prevalence and clinical manifestations at onset of juvenile diabetes in Tanzania

Better knowledge on incidence, prevalence and clinical manifestations is needed for planning diabetes care in Sub Saharan Africa.

AIMS

To find a crude incidence/prevalence of diabetes in children and young adults in a low resource setting, classify the diabetes and audit the health record keeping.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study based on medical recordings 2010-2016. Target population was children and adolescent registered in Changing Diabetes in Children (CDiC) or Life for a Child (LFAC) programs for children with T1DM and diagnosed at 5 diabetes clinics in three geographical regions of Tanzania. 604 patients' files were available from five hospitals.

RESULTS

336/604 files covered patients <15 years of age at diagnosis. The prevalence of diabetes <15 years of age ranged from 10.1 to 11.9 per 100,000 children and the annual incidence 1.8-1.9/100,000 children, with peak incidence at 10-14 years. A lot of data were missing. The great majority of the patients presented with typical signs and symptoms of T1D, 83.7% with plausible ketoacidosis (DKA).

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes incidence and prevalence is still low. T1D seems to dominate with very high frequency of DKA at diagnosis. Increased awareness of diabetes both in health care and community is needed.

Neuropathy of type 1 diabetes in the Arab world: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

Although type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a common disease in the Arab nations, there is no data available on the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy (PN) among T1D subjects in Arab countries. The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence of PN in T1D subjects via published literature and to draw attention to the dearth of the published work in this serious complication of T1D.

METHODS

A meta-analysis was performed on studies representing different Arab countries with a total number of 2243 T1D subjects.

RESULTS

The pooled prevalence of PN among T1D subjects in the Arab region was estimated as 18% with 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.09-0.34. The PN prevalence was significantly higher in the >16-yr age group, with 59.1% (95% CI: 0.45-0.72) compared to 9.5% (95% CI: 0.05-0.19) in the <16-yr age group. Furthermore, the PN prevalence was significantly higher in the group with more than 10-yr T1D, 35% (95% CI: 0.15-0.62) than in the group with less than 10-yr T1D, 9.4% (95% CI: 0.04-0.21).

CONCLUSION

In Arab countries, PN is common in adults and children with T1D, but prevalence varies widely. Older age Arab people (>16years) with T1D are affected more with PN than younger age Arab people (<16years). PN is more frequently present in Arab subjects with a longer duration of T1D diabetes than in those with shorter duration.

Childhood diabetes in Africa

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review summarizes the current state of diabetes in African children.

RECENT FINDINGS

Type 1 diabetes is the most common form of pediatric diabetes in Africa. Significant improvements have been achieved over the last 6 years, including the training of more than 60 pediatric endocrinologists who are now practicing in 14 African nations, greater training of other healthcare providers, increased availability of insulin through the efforts of philanthropic organizations and industry, modestly better availability of testing supplies, and the introduction of patient education materials in native languages. However, there is still a long way to go before the standard-of-care available to children in resource-rich nations is available to children with diabetes in Africa.

SUMMARY

Here, we review the known epidemiology, pathophysiology, complications, and treatment of diabetes in children in Africa.

Epidemiology of diabetic ketoacidosis in Arab patients with type 1 diabetes: a systematic review

AIMS

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute and risky complication of type 1 diabetes. The aim of this study is to build the overall rate of DKA in Arab patients with type 1 diabetes in the 22 Arab nations. This is expected to tailor the healthcare approaches in Arab countries where attention is needed to save lives from the devastating consequences of DKA.

METHODS

The study here is a quantitative analysis of the articles indexed in four different scientific literature databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct and Scopus, from inception to June 2015. Arab patients with type 1 diabetes who presented with DKA have been captured. Key information was possible to extract for patients belong to only 12 Arab countries out of the 22 Arab patients.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine studies in 12 different Arab countries captured 4,688 type 1 diabetes patients with overall rates of 46.7% patients presented with DKA, ranging from a low of 17% in Egypt to a high of 100% in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

CONCLUSION

This is the first descriptive quantitative study to determine the overall DKA rate in 46 years of studies in the Arab world of patients with type 1 diabetes; DKA rates were found to range from 17% to 100% with overall rate of 46.7%.

Biomarkers in Diabetic Retinopathy

There is a global diabetes epidemic correlating with an increase in obesity. This coincidence may lead to a rise in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. There is also an as yet unexplained increase in the incidence of type 1 diabetes, which is not related to adiposity. Whilst improved diabetes care has substantially improved diabetes outcomes, the disease remains a common cause of working age adult-onset blindness. Diabetic retinopathy is the most frequently occurring complication of diabetes; it is greatly feared by many diabetes patients. There are multiple risk factors and markers for the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy, yet residual risk remains. Screening for diabetic retinopathy is recommended to facilitate early detection and treatment. Common biomarkers of diabetic retinopathy and its risk in clinical practice today relate to the visualization of the retinal vasculature and measures of glycemia, lipids, blood pressure, body weight, smoking, and pregnancy status. Greater knowledge of novel biomarkers and mediators of diabetic retinopathy, such as those related to inflammation and angiogenesis, has contributed to the development of additional therapeutics, in particular for late-stage retinopathy, including intra-ocular corticosteroids and intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors ('anti-VEGFs') agents. Unfortunately, in spite of a range of treatments (including laser photocoagulation, intraocular steroids, and anti-VEGF agents, and more recently oral fenofibrate, a PPAR-alpha agonist lipid-lowering drug), many patients with diabetic retinopathy do not respond well to current therapeutics. Therefore, more effective treatments for diabetic retinopathy are necessary. New analytical techniques, in particular those related to molecular markers, are accelerating progress in diabetic retinopathy research. Given the increasing incidence and prevalence of diabetes, and the limited capacity of healthcare systems to screen and treat diabetic retinopathy, there is need to reliably identify and triage people with diabetes. Biomarkers may facilitate a better understanding of diabetic retinopathy, and contribute to the development of novel treatments and new clinical strategies to prevent vision loss in people with diabetes. This article reviews key aspects related to biomarker research, and focuses on some specific biomarkers relevant to diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetes in the young - a global view and worldwide estimates of numbers of children with type 1 diabetes

This paper describes the methodology, results and limitations of the 2013 International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Atlas (6th edition) estimates of the worldwide numbers of prevalent cases of type 1 diabetes in children (<15 years). The majority of relevant information in the published literature is in the form of incidence rates derived from registers of newly diagnosed cases. Studies were graded on quality criteria and, if no information was available in the published literature, extrapolation was used to assign a country the rate from an adjacent country with similar characteristics. Prevalence rates were then derived from these incidence rates and applied to United Nations 2012 Revision population estimates for 2013 for each country to obtain estimates of the number of prevalent cases. Data availability was highest for the countries in Europe (76%) and lowest for the countries in sub-Saharan Africa (8%). The prevalence estimates indicate that there are almost 500,000 children aged under 15 years with type 1 diabetes worldwide, the largest numbers being in Europe (129,000) and North America (108,700). Countries with the highest estimated numbers of new cases annually were the United States (13,000), India (10,900) and Brazil (5000). Compared with the prevalence estimates made in previous editions of the IDF Diabetes Atlas, the numbers have increased in most of the IDF Regions, often reflecting the incidence rate increases that have been well-documented in many countries. Monogenic diabetes is increasingly being recognised among those with clinical features of type 1 or type 2 diabetes as genetic studies become available, but population-based data on incidence and prevalence show wide variation due to lack of standardisation in the studies. Similarly, studies on type 2 diabetes in childhood suggest increased incidence and prevalence in many countries, especially in Indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities, but detailed population-based studies remain limited.

Ketoacidosis at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents: frequency and clinical characteristics

Background

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life-threatening acute complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Although the frequency of DKA as first manifestation of T1DM is higher in developing compared developed countries, there is paucity of information on its characteristics in developing countries.

Methods

This retrospective study determined the frequency of ketoacidosis at diagnosis of new-onset type 1 diabetes and described the clinical characteristics of the patients seen between 1996 and 2011 by auditing the hospital records of all cases. The diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) was based on the presence of hyperglycaemia (blood glucose > 11 mmol/L), acidosis (serum bicarbonate < 15 mmol/L) and ketonuria (urine ketone ≥1+).

Results

At diagnosis of new-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus, three-quarter (77.1%) of the children and adolescents presented with DKA. Comparing the frequency of DKA during the initial 8 years (1996–2003) with the later 8 years (2004–2011), it was 81.8% vs 73.1%; p > 005. The frequency has not shown any significant declined over a 16-year period. The frequency of re-admission in ketoacidosis was 24.3%.

Conclusion

Three-quarter of children and adolescents present with DKA as first manifestation of T1DM with no significant decline in frequency over a 16-year period in our hospital.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2251-6581-12-47) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Diabetic ketoacidosis: an overlooked child killer in sub-Saharan Africa?

The true incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in sub-Saharan Africa is unknown but unlike in the Western countries, DKA is also uniquely frequent among type 2 diabetes patients of African origin. Increased hyperglycaemia and hepatic ketogenesis lead to osmotic diuresis, dehydration and tissue hypoxia. Acute complications of DKA include cerebral oedema, which may be compounded by malnutrition, parasitic and microbial infections with rampant tuberculosis and HIV. Overlapping symptoms of these conditions and misdiagnosis of DKA contribute to increased morbidity and mortality. Inability of the patients to afford insulin treatment leads to poor glycemic control as some patients seek alternative treatment from traditional healers or use herbal remedies further complicating the disease process. Standard treatment guidelines for DKA currently used may not be ideal as they are adapted from those of the developed world. Children presenting with suspected DKA should be screened for comorbidities which may complicate fluid and electrolyte replacement therapy protocol. Patient rehabilitation should take into account concurrent treatment for infectious conditions to avoid possible life-threatening drug interactions. We recommend that health systems in sub-Saharan Africa leverage the Expanded Immunization Programme or TB/HIV/AIDS programmes, which are fairly well entrenched to support diabetes services.

A systematic overview of prospective cohort studies of cardiovascular disease in sub-Saharan Africa

Background

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are becoming increasingly significant in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Reliable measures of the contribution of major determinants are essential for informing health services and policy solutions.

Objective

To perform a systematic review of all longitudinal studies of CVDs and related risk factors that have been conducted in SSA.

Data source

We searched electronic databases from 1966 to October 2009. Published studies were retrieved from PubMed and Africa EBSCO. Reference lists of identified articles were scanned for additional publications.

Study selection

Any longitudinal study with data collection at baseline on major cardiovascular risk factors or CVD, including 30 or more participants, and with at least six months of follow up were included.

Data extraction

Data were extracted on the country of study, year of inception, baseline evaluation, primary focus of the study, outcomes, and number of participants at baseline and final evaluation.

Results

Eighty-one publications relating to 41 studies from 11 SSA countries with a wide range of participants were included. Twenty-two were historical/prospective hospital-based studies. These studies focused on risk factors, particularly diabetes mellitus and hypertension, or CVD including stroke, heart failure and rheumatic heart disease. The rate of participants followed through the whole duration of studies was 72% (64–80%), with a significant heterogeneity between studies (for heterogeneity, p < 0.001). Outcomes monitored during follow up included trajectories of risk markers and mortality.

Conclusions

Well-designed prospective cohort studies are needed to inform and update our knowledge regarding the epidemiology CVDs and their interactions with known risk factors in the context of common infectious diseases in this region.

Health related quality of life and sense of coherence in Sudanese diabetic subjects with lower limb amputation

Quality of life is an important outcome measure in diabetic patients with lower limb amputation (LLA). The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of lower limb amputation on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Sudanese diabetic subjects. Additionally the Sense of Coherence scale (SOC-13) and a symptom check list was used in subjects with LLA. A total of 60 (M/F; 40/20) diabetic subjects with LLA and 60 (M/F; 23/37) diabetic reference subjects without LLA, were studied. For both groups HRQOL was measured using The Medical Outcomes Study questionnaire (MOS). Subjects with LLA had significantly poorer HRQOL compared to the reference group in most HRQOL domains (p < 0.0001). Duration of diabetes had the greatest negative impact on HRQOL in both groups, those with LLA (p < 0.0001), and in those without LLA (p < 0.0001), although subjects who were amputated earlier had poorer HRQOL than recently amputated (p < 0.0001). Higher SOC scores were recorded in LLA patients who have greater ratings of positive feelings, family satisfaction and sleep in the HRQOL examination (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, Sudanese diabetic subjects with LLA have a poor quality of life. The triad of diabetes duration, symptoms and amputations, has turned to be important risk factor for poorer HRQOL. Functional and mobility status were suggested to be an important determinant of HRQOL among this population. As the Sudanese population has coherent social relationships, this poor performance of the diabetic subjects will certainly increase the burden on the whole family, in both integrity and economical status. Nevertheless, these deep-rooted social interrelations together with increasing diabetes awareness have substantially improved the family satisfaction among our patients.

Survey on acute and chronic complications in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to assess glycemic control and complications of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents in Tanzania.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This demographic and clinical survey included 99 children aged between 5 and 18 years attending Muhimbili National Hospital Clinic for Diabetes. A structured questionnaire was used for evaluating socioeconomic data and for estimation of the prevalence of acute complications occurring over the last 6 months. The prevalences of retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy were determined by fundus ophthalmoscopy and by microalbuminuria, respectively.

RESULTS

All of these children were treated with a conventional insulin regimen. The mean +/- SD duration of diabetes was 4.76 +/- 3.58 years. Only 1 child (1%) had good glycemic control (A1C <7.5%), 60 children (60.6%) had moderate glycemic control (A1C 7.5-10%), 14 children (14.1%) had poor glycemic control (A1C >10-12.5%), and 24 children (24.2%) had very poor glycemic control (A1C >12.5%). At onset of diabetes, 75% of children presented with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA); 89 children (89.80%) had at least one episode of DKA, and 55 children (55.67%) had symptomatic hypoglycemic episodes. Microalbuminuria was present in 29 (29.3%) and retinopathy in 22 (22.68%) children.

CONCLUSIONS

Although there are some methodological limitations, this survey highlights the difficulties of achieving good metabolic control and the high prevalence of acute and chronic complications in Tanzanian children with type 1 diabetes. These results clearly show that major efforts are needed to improve quality of care in children with type 1 diabetes in Tanzania.

The influence of glucose self-monitoring on glycaemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus in Sudan

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the influence of self-monitoring of glucose on the glycaemic control in Sudanese diabetic subjects.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A group of 193 consecutive type 2 and type 1 diabetic subjects (95 men, 98 women) were studied. In 104 subjects with type 2 diabetes fasting blood glucose was measured using a glucose meter and blood was obtained for serum glucose measurement in the laboratory. In the remaining 89 diabetic subjects random blood glucose was measured using the same glucose meter and a whole blood sample was drawn for laboratory assessment of HbA1c. Data on self-monitoring and other clinical and personal characteristics were recorded.

RESULTS

More than 75% of either type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients never self-monitored blood or urine glucose. In type 2 diabetic subjects self-monitoring of blood or urine glucose was not related to glycaemic control. In type 1 diabetic subjects, however, self-monitoring of blood glucose was significantly associated with better glycaemic control, as assessed by HbA1c (P=0.02) and blood glucose at clinic visits (P< or =0.0001), and similar associations were found for urine glucose self-monitoring (P=0.04 and 0.02) respectively. Neither glycaemic control nor glucose self-monitoring was associated with education level.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-monitoring of blood glucose was not found to be associated to better glycaemic control in Sudanese subjects with type 2 diabetes. In contrast, self-monitoring of both blood and urine glucose was significantly associated with glycaemic control in subjects with type 1 diabetes. Self-monitoring of urine glucose could be useful where measurement of blood glucose is not available or affordable.

Growth, puberty, and final height in children with Type 1 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study were to assess the physical growth and pubertal development in a group of diabetic children and to evaluate the effect of height at diagnosis, duration of illness, and degree of glycemic control on final height and sexual maturation.

RESEARCH DESIGN

A cohort of 72 Sudanese diabetic children, 7-13 years of age at diagnosis, was followed longitudinally from the onset of diabetes until the attainment of final height.

RESULTS

The mean height standard deviation scores (SDS) at diagnosis were 0.04 in boys and -0.15 in girls, which was greater than their genetic target height (GTH). The growth velocity between diagnosis and final height was slow, with significant reduction in pubertal growth spurt. The mean final height attained by these children was lower than their GTH, a finding that contradicts most of the recently published reports. The average age at menarche in girls (15.1 years) and the mean age of full sexual maturation in boys (17.2 years) were significantly delayed in this group of diabetic patients. This retardation in physical growth and pubertal development was positively correlated with the duration of diabetes before the onset of puberty and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) concentration. The majority of these patients were thin at diagnosis of diabetes, with median body mass index (BMI) <22, but showed a remarkable, progressive weight gain during puberty, which was more evident in girls. The weight gain was independent of weight at diagnosis and duration of diabetes, but was positively correlated with the daily dose of insulin and HbA1c concentration.

CONCLUSION

Conventional therapy of diabetic children is associated with impairment of physical growth and delayed sexual maturation.

Economic burden on families of childhood type 1 diabetes in urban Sudan

The aims of this study were to estimate the direct costs of childhood diabetes in a low income country, Sudan, and to assess the effectiveness of care paid for by the families. For this purpose, socio-economic and demographic data on families were obtained from the parents of 147 children with type 1 diabetes, attending public or private clinics in Khartoum State, Sudan. The median annual income of the families of diabetic children was US dollars (US$) 1222 (range 0-14,338) of which 16% was received as financial help from relatives and friends. The median annual expenditure of diabetes care was US$ 283 per diabetic child of which 36% was spent on insulin. Of the family expenditure on health, 65% was used for the diabetic child. Families of diabetic children who were attending private clinics had a significantly higher total expenditure on health and home blood glucose monitoring than those who were attending the public clinics. However, there was no difference in total income between the two groups and glycaemic control was poor in 86% of the patients, regardless of whether care was being given by private or public clinics. The occurrence of the disease and its poor control appeared to exert a negative impact on the school performance of the diabetic child. In conclusion, the low direct costs reflect the minimal care given to the diabetic patients. Under the present economic conditions, families pay a considerable part of their income to sponsor the health of their diabetic children and receive little support other than that from relatives and friends. The present organization of diabetes care does not provide the patient with empowerment, knowledge and self-care ability. Well-trained diabetic teams and education programs may improve this situation.

Etiology and outcome of childhood and adolescent diabetes mellitus in North India

The etiology of childhood onset diabetes mellitus (DM) varies between regions and races, and its long-term outcome is affected by social and economic factors. There are scant data on the etiology of childhood DM and outcome of multidisciplinary team management from developing countries. We retrospectively analyzed case records of 160 predominantly middle socio-economic group patients with onset of DM < or =18 years of age for etiology and features at presentation. In addition, we prospectively studied acute and chronic complications and metabolic control in a subset of 67 patients. Type 1 DM comprised 81%, type 2 DM 8%, and fibrocalculous pancreatic DM 9% of patients. Mean HbA1c was 8.0+/-1.5%. Retinopathy was present in 22% and nephropathy in 18% of those with DM duration > or =5 years (mean age 21.2+/-6.8 years, mean duration 10.2+/-4.6 years). The frequency of ketoacidosis and severe hypoglycemia was 5.0 and 3.3 episodes per 100 patient years. Mortality was 7% over 823 person years of follow up. We conclude that fairly good metabolic control is achievable in a middle socio-economic population in India, with the assistance of a diabetes education program. The frequency of microvascular complications is comparable to that in the literature. However, mortality remains unacceptably high.

Incidence and seasonal variation of Type 1 diabetes in children in Farwania area, Kuwait (1995-1999)

The aim of our study was to confirm the continuing rise in the incidence of Type 1 diabetes among Kuwaiti children aged 0-14, and to assess the effect of seasonality on incidence. Data from all newly diagnosed diabetic children between the period of 1995 and 1999 were analyzed. A total of 129 cases of Type 1 diabetes were diagnosed during the study period, of whom 68 were Kuwaiti nationals and were included in the study. The incidence was 20.18 per 100,000 (95% CI 16.3-28.2). Incidence rates for the age-groups 0-4, 5-9 and 10-14 were 8.12, 21.07 and 34.06, respectively. There was a significant female predominance (F:M ratio was 1.4:1, P<0.05). More cases were diagnosed in the cool months (November-February) compared with the warm months (June-September, P<0.05). There was increase in incidence from 1995 to 1999, but compared with data from the 1980s on the same age group, incidence has increased. A positive family history of Type 1 diabetes in a close relative was recorded for 30% of the patients. Although, only data from one hospital were included, Kuwait is very small geographically and not likely to have differences between different areas. Stress factors, economic growth, changes in the nutritional habits and the adoption of the western lifestyle may explain some of this increase.

Severity at onset of childhood type 1 diabetes in countries with high and low incidence of the condition

Severity of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) at presentation was compared between south-east Sweden and Lithuania where incidence of childhood Type 1 diabetes is three times lower than in Sweden. New cases of diabetes at age 0-15 years from August 1995 to March 1999 in south-east Sweden and from August 1996 to August 2000 in Lithuania were included. Symptoms and clinical characteristics at diagnosis were recorded. Data about the close environment were collected using questionnaires. Lithuanian children were diagnosed in a more severe condition, mean pH 7.30 and HbA(1c) 11.5% compared with mean pH 7.36 and HbA(1c) 9.7% in Swedish children (P<0.0001). More Lithuanian than Swedish children were diagnosed in ketoacidosis (pH < or = 7.2, hyperglycaemia and ketonuria), 21.3 versus 7.3% (P<0.0001). Only 4.6% of Swedish children and 1.0% of Lithuanian children had no symptoms (P=0.007). Children in families with at least one first degree relative with diabetes (12.2% in Sweden and 8.4% in Lithuania, NS) had laboratory values at diagnosis closer to normal than sporadic cases in either country. Factors predicting ketoacidosis in Sweden were an unemployed mother and absence of infections in the 6 months before diagnosis. In Lithuania it was younger age and mother with less education. Additional educational activities for doctors are needed in countries with low incidence to reduce prevalence of ketoacidosis at onset.

Childhood and adolescent diabetes mellitus in Arabs residing in the United Arab Emirates

In 9 years (1990-1998), 40 Arab patients between the ages of 0 and 18 years had newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM) at the Al-Ain hospital, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In this cohort, 35 patients had Type 1 DM while the remaining five patients had features of early onset Type 2 DM. For Type 1 DM patients, the mean age at diagnosis of was 9.2+/-4.1 years. At presentation, their mean plasma glucose was 27.6+/-11/mmol with 28 (80%) patients having diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), both being much higher than generally reported in the West. The mean insulin requirement increased from 0.84+/-0.27 U/kg per 24 h (0-9-year group) to 1.02+/-0.33 U/kg per 24 h (10-18-year group), P=0.055. The home glucose monitoring and the glycaemic control of these Type 1 DM patients were sub-optimal with 28% of patients having recurrence of DKA. Among the Type 2 DM patients, four (80%) were obese with a positive family history of Type 2 DM. All of them initially responded to diet and oral hypoglycaemic drugs. Public education about DM in childhood and prevention of adolescent obesity remain major public health challenges in the UAE.

Inter-relação de variáveis demográficas, terapêutica insulínica e controle glicêmico em pacientes com diabetes mellitus do tipo 1 atendidos em um hospital universitário

Com o objetivo de avaliar a inter-relação das variáveis demográficas, terapêutica insulínica e controle glicêmico no diabetes do tipo 1 (DM1), foram estudados 86 pacientes (44 F / 42 M), de 21,8±10 anos, 10 (11,6%) pré-púberes, 22 (25,6%) púberes e 54 (62,8%) adultos, com duração do DM de 8,6±7,1 ano e idade do diagnóstico de 13,2±8,5 anos, acompanhados durante o ano de 1997. O número de consultas anuais foi de 3,6±2,2, sem associação com sexo, raça e estágio de Tanner. A dose de insulina total foi de 0,9±0,4 U/kg/dia sendo que 72 deles (83,7%) utilizavam duas injeções por dia; 39 (45,3%) utilizavam insulina de ação rápida dos quais 36 (92,3%) em combinação com insulina de ação intermediária matinal. Na análise de regressão múltipla apenas a HbA1C influenciou a dose de insulina (r=0,45; r²=0,21; p<0,001). A HbA1C foi de 8,4±1,9%, sendo os maiores níveis observados no estágio 4, em comparação aos estágios 1, 2, 3 e 5 de Tanner, respectivamente (10,5±2,4 vs 7,6±1,4 vs 8,9±2,1 vs vs 8,3±2,4 vs 8,2±1,8%; p= 0,02). As adolescentes apresentaram maior HbA1C e IMC que os adolescentes: 10,5±2,5 vs 8,3±2,0% (p= 0,02) e 19,4±1,9 vs 18,3±2,2 kg/m² (p= 0,04), respectivamente. O controle glicêmico foi considerado bom em 50% e péssimo em 31,4% dos pacientes. Concluímos que na amostra estudada houve uma piora do controle glicêmico no estágio final da puberdade, independente do número de consultas e das variáveis demográficas analisadas, e que o elevado número de pacientes com controle péssimo deverá nortear mudanças das estratégias terapêuticas.

Glycaemic control of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in Sudan: influence of insulin shortage

Insulin availability and routine diabetes care were cross-sectionally investigated in 122 (M/F; 59/63) insulin-dependent diabetic patients aged 6-60 years with > or = 1 year duration using a structured questionnaire interview followed by a free conversation. Haemoglobin A1c, blood glucose, and serum lipids were measured in the fasting state to assess the metabolic control. Only 12% of the patients had acceptable glycaemic control (HbA1c < 7.5%). Increased age, shorter diabetes duration, and higher body mass index were associated with better metabolic control. Omission or reduction of the insulin dose was experienced by 51% of the patients due to insulin shortage. The interview data consistently indicated that insulin non-availability had induced poor compliance to therapy regimens and lack of motivation for optimum glycaemic control. Due to limited resources, most of the patients received insufficient diabetes care and education, leading to lower rates of clinic attendance (55%), and dietary non-compliance (78.5%). Elevated haemoglobin A1c was associated with higher fasting blood glucose levels (P < 0.001), serum triglycerides (P < 0.05), and urinary glucose (P < 0.001). Measurable fasting C-peptide was observed in 52.5% of the patients and was related to the age at diagnosis, and body mass index (P < 0.001 for both). There is a considerable potential to improve diabetes care and education practice, and if accessibility to insulin is simultaneously facilitated, the glycaemic control in Sudanese diabetic patients will improve.

Pattern of long-term complications in Sudanese insulin-treated diabetic patients

The prevalence of long-term micro- and macrovascular complications was studied in 128 (M/F; 62:66) Sudanese insulin-treated diabetic patients aged 15-75 years and with > or = 1 year duration. Patients were recruited from the out-patient clinics of the general hospitals in three States in Sudan. Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was measured to assess the degree of metabolic control. The prevalence of microvascular complications was, retinopathy 43%, nephropathy 22% and neuropathy 37%. For macrovascular complications the prevalence was, cardiovascular disease 28%, peripheral vascular disease 10% and cerebrovascular accidents 5.5%. The overall prevalence of long-term complications was 67%. Patients with these complications were significantly older (P < 0.005), had longer disease duration (P < 0.001), and had higher serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentration (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). The glycaemic control was adequate in only 12.5% of the patients, and was not related to the prevalence of complications. Sudanese diabetic patients are more prone to both microvascular and macrovascular complications than previously reported. More attention from the patients and clinicians is required and all efforts should be made to reduce the incidence of these complications.