Cost of Diabetes

Abstract

In this study 100 Sudanese diabetic patients in Khartoum Teaching Hospital, japer Abu Aliz Diabetic Center Referred Clinic were included (August - December 2000). Diabetic eye disease (cataract and Retinopathy) was found to be the commonest complication of diabetes and account for 54% of patients followed by neuropathy which account for 51 % this is specially found in patients with type 11 diabetes. It was also shown that the development of the complications is directly related to the duration of the disease. 21 % of the patients were severely disabled by chronic complications and 38% of the working diabetic patients left their work because of diabetes. Poorly controlled diabetes and DKA was found to be the most common causes of admission to hospital which account for 32% and 28.3% respectively, followed by diabetic foot ulcers which account for 24.5% This found specially in type 11 diabetic patients, where as in type I DKA was the most frequent cause of admission to hospital. 35% of patients were not adherent to their treatment prescriptions specially those with type 11 diabetes, 81.5% of them were due to their refusal of the medications and the minority (18%) were due to unavailability or the high cost of the medications.