# Prevalence of Comorbidities among Patients with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus in Saudi Population

## TL;DR

This study examines how type-2 diabetes in Saudi Arabia is linked to heart disease risk factors like cholesterol, blood sugar control, and weight changes.

## Contribution

The study identifies strong correlations between LDL cholesterol, HbA1c, and weight gain in type-2 diabetes patients, emphasizing the need for lifestyle interventions.

## Key findings

- LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol are strongly positively correlated in type-2 diabetes patients.
- HbA1c levels are moderately correlated with cholesterol levels.
- Weight gain is positively associated with diabetes, and diabetes is strongly linked to hypertension.

## Abstract

This study sought to quantify the link between low density lipoprotein (LDL) and cholesterol, glycemic control as measured by Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level, and the impact of weight changes on subsequent risk of chronic heart disease in type-2 diabetes mellitus patients.

This study was conducted at Primary Care Clinics from April to September 2023. The data were retrieved from the e-SiHi (a patient care management system). Appropriate parametric tests and non-parametric analysis were applied following the normality of the data.

In diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, the Pearson correlation between the cholesterol and LDL relationship was found to be strongly positive and statistically significant (r = .877, p <.001). HbA1c and cholesterol were moderately positive and statistically significant (r =.330, p =.003). Pearson correlation between DM and weight was found to be positive and statistically significant (r =.212, p =.05). Chi-square analysis showed an association of DM with Hypertension, and this association was also significant; X2 (1, n = 83; 11.877; P <.001).

Diabetes mellitus regardless of gender, has a strong association with hypertension and weight gain. In DM patients, cholesterol and HbA1c are positively correlated. There is a strong need that primary care physicians should persistently advise for lifestyle changes in all their consultations with DM patients.