AWARENESS OF DIABETIC PATIENTS ABOUT DIABETES IN PAKISTAN

Objective: To find out the complexities and number of the diabetic patients who are at the early stage of diabetes. Methodology: A survey based on interviews of the diabetic patients consisting of 495 patients was started at Nishtar Hospital Multan. During a specific study period these patients were directed towards the clinic for interviews. Results: Different complications were discovered during the study of the patients. Long duration of diabetes, positive family history and age factor were few reasons resulting in complications. Most of them were unaware of the basic information regarding the disease. Most of the patients were having positive family history. Fatness and hypertension were few problems common in them. Only 14.5% were aware of how to check their plasma glucose level. Neither file consisting of HBA1c level. Even most of them were unaware about what does it mean. Conclusion: Few things needed to be done at home by the patients themselves, like checking of blood sugar levels. But unfortunately only few were aware of how to check it. In order to avoid different complexities, a diabetic patient must have a keen knowledge of how to ensure a required blood glucose level.