Impact of microvascular complications on quality of life in diabetic patients

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Introduction: Diabetes is a serious health concern all over the world. Among people with diabetes, a key factor influencing quality of life (QOL) is degree and nature of diabetes related complications experienced by the patients over a lifetime. QOL is important health related factor and one of the most widely used measure to self-assess the effect of the management of chronic disease on health and monitors the physical, psychological, and social aspects of personal health.
Methodology: This study is a prospective questionnaire based observational study which was conducted over a period of 6 months in a tertiary care hospital among diabetic patients. The subjects are interviewed with WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire and relevant information was collected. The domain wise scores are calculated.
Results: A total of 140 diabetic patients were included in the study of which 100 were with complications and 40 were without complications. On conducting single sample unpaired test analysis, we found significant difference in the patients. The inference obtained this study was that nephropathy is the most common microvascular complication and affects the psychological and environmental status of subjects.
Conclusion: The study was done to know the influence of complications on QOL and to reduce the burden of disease by improving QOL by effective counselling points and self-care management. We conclude that taking proper diabetic diet and self-care can prevent the worsening of QOL in patients with microvascular complications.