Quality of Life and Occurrence of Metabolic Syndrome Among Type 2 Diabetes Patients in South India: A Pilot Study

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), a prevalent contributing factor for cardiac complications in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), adversely affects their quality of life (QoL). The objective of the study was to assess the QoL and the occurrence of MetS among patients with Type 2 DM.

The cross-sectional study included 191 inpatients aged 25-75 with Type 2 DM, diagnosed for over six months, and on diabetic medications. Patients with Type 1 DM, gestational DM, cognitive impairment, mental retardation, those on ventilator support, and outpatients were excluded. MetS and QoL were evaluated by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) guidelines and the Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life Questionnaire (ADDQoL), respectively.

Among the enrolled participants, 44.0% had MetS, with a greater impact observed in females. Type of treatment (p=0.001), physical activity (p<0.00), body mass index (p<0.000), alcohol intake (p=0.007), eating habits (p=0.003), frequency of exercise (p<0.00), smoking (p=0.007), waist circumference (p<0.000), and hypertension (p<0.000) were statistically predominant in those with DM and MetS. Both genders reported a comparable negative impact on QoL domains, with no statistically significant difference in the Average Weighted Impact Score between males and females (p=0.644).

The high prevalence of MetS among hospitalized Type 2 DM patients highlights a significant yet often overlooked health burden. Its presence was significantly associated with various lifestyle and clinical risk factors. All QoL domains showed a decline, indicating that diabetes and its complications have a negative impact on quality of life.

In conclusion, MetS appears to be very common in patients with DM, and it negatively affects QoL.