title: Postprandial glucose control in Type 2 diabetic patients visiting two different primary care clinics in Trinidad, West Indies.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the differences in postprandial glucose levels between Type 2 diabetic patients visiting two different primary care clinics after ingestion of three carbohydrate test foods. Thirty-eight Type 2 diabetic patients visiting the Chaguanas and Arima Lifestyle Disease Clinics and 27 healthy non-diabetic subjects were studied on three different occasions, seven days apart, after an overnight fast. On each day of the study, anthropometric indices were measured and after collecting fasting blood samples, subjects randomly consumed three pre-selected carbohydrate test foods: bread, roti or rice within 10 minutes and water taken as wished. Subsequently, seven millimetres of venous blood samples were collected at 60, 90, 120 and 150 minutes for insulin, glucose and lipid determinations. Age, body weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumferences did not differ between the healthy subjects and diabetic patients or between patients of the two clinics (p > 0.05). The mean fasting and 2.5-hour postprandial glucose values for the patients visiting the Chaguanas clinic were higher, after consuming at least one test food, than those of patients visiting the Arima clinic (p < 0.05). The mean HbA1c, and 2.5-hour glucose levels for the diabetic patients visiting either of the two clinics exceeded the internationally recommended cut-off values; this is worst in patients visiting the Chaguanas clinic. It is suggested that primary care physicians should start by targeting glycaemic control based on international standards while a more aggressive diabetes dietary education should be reinforced at the clinics, especially Chaguanas.
authors.affiliation: The Unit of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. ezenwaka@tstt.net.tt
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Ezenwaka
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kalloo
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019518:Postprandial Period; D011320:Primary Health Care; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates