title: The presentation of newly-diagnosed diabetic patients in Uganda.
abstract: We assessed the clinical characteristics of newly-diagnosed diabetic patients presenting to the Mulago Hospital Diabetic Clinic for the first time between 1 January 1993 and 10 August 1994. There were 252 patients: 117 men and 135 women. Mean age at onset of diabetes was 45 years (range 2-87 years) and peak incidence was at 40-49 years. Body mass index (BMI) was available in only 71 patients, of whom 53.5% (33.8% female, 19.7% male) were overweight (BMI > 25 in women, in > 27 men) and 11.3% (8.5% men, 2.8% women) were underweight (BMI < 20). Obesity was more marked in young women. Almost all patients presented with the classical symptoms of diabetes, and the majority were severely hyperglycaemic. A family history of diabetes was identified in 16%. Concurrent illnesses at diagnosis of diabetes were unusual. Sepsis was commonest (11.9%), followed by malaria (7.8%), tuberculosis (1.2%), AIDS (1.2%) and pancreatitis (0.8%). Peripheral neuropathy was present in 46.4% of patients, hypertension (BP > 150/100) in 27.3%, impotence in 22.2% of the men, proteinuria in 17.1%, ischaemic heart disease in 4.8%, foot ulcers in 4.0% and cataracts in 3.2%. Insulin was the most commonly prescribed treatment (52.8%); 31% of patients received oral hypoglycaemic agents, only 15.1% were managed on diet only, and 1.2% opted for herbal medicine.
authors.affiliation: Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Nambuya
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Otim
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Whitehead
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mulvany
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hadden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000150:complications; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications; D014454:Uganda
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin