DiabCare Senegal: A survey on diabetes management in Senegal

Aim: The DiabCare-Senegal project aimed to describe diabetes control and management, as well as the stage of late complications observed in diabetic patients who are under follow-up and treatment.Methods: A descriptive study has been conducted in five centers specialized in diabetes management over a period of 3 months, including all patients being followed up in these centers for more than 12 months. Data were collected from the patient's medical records and HbA(1c) was the only test performed for the purpose of the study.Results: There were 387 patients. Diabetes was type 2 mainly (92.5%), with a mean age of 52.2 ± 12.4 years. Mean age of type 1 diabetics was 25 years. Mean duration of diabetes was 7 ± 6 years. Mean levels of HbA(1c), fasting and postprandial plasma glucose showed moderate diabetes control (7.6 ± 2.4%, 8.4 ± 4 mmol/L and 10.5 ± 5.5 mmol/L, respectively) but the majority of patients failed to achieve glycemic targets as defined by ADA or IDF. Main complications were neuropathy (26.3%), eye complications (20.5%), and diabetic foot (5.1%). More than one third of type 2 diabetic patients were not receiving any antidiabetic pharmacological agent. Among treated patients, most (36.9%) were receiving an oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) monotherapy while 10.1% were treated with insulin alone and 5.2% with a combination of OAD and insulin. Despite the frequent association of central obesity, high blood pressure and/or dyslipidemia, very few patients were treated for those comorbidities.Conclusion: Glycemic control in Senegalese diabetic patients is suboptimal. Pharmacological management should be implemented earlier and be more aggressive, including treatment of both hyperglycemia and associated cardiovascular risk factors. © 2011 - Elsevier Masson SAS - Tous droits réservés.