Most in Asian Malay Group With Diabetes Have Poor BP Control

More than 75 percent of group in Singapore have poor glycemic and blood pressure control

THURSDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- More than 75 percent of an Asian Malay population with diabetes has poor glycemic and blood pressure (BP) control, according to a study published in the September issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.

In the Singapore Malay Eye Study, Olivia S. Huang, of the University of New South Wales in Kensington, Australia, and colleagues performed a survey of 3,280 Malay individuals in Singapore (78.7 percent response rate) aged 40 to 80 years.

The investigators found that 26.9 percent of the 768 participants with diabetes had optimal glycemic control, while 13.4 percent had optimal BP control. Rates of optimal glycemic and BP control were 17.4 and 10.3 percent, respectively, in participants with diabetic retinopathy (DR). After adjusting for confounding factors, participants with suboptimal glycemic control were younger, more likely not to be aware of their diabetes status, and taking medication for diabetes; they also had increased levels of total cholesterol and DR, compared to participants with optimal glycemic control. In addition, participants with suboptimal BP control were older and more likely to have higher total cholesterol levels, higher body mass index, and DR, compared to those with optimal BP control.

"In this Asian Malay population with diabetes, more than three-quarters had poor glycemic and BP control," the authors write. "Strategies to improve awareness and implement evidence-based guidelines are needed to reduce the effect and burden of diabetic complications in Asia."

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