Pattern of Dysglycaemia and Family Risk Factors for Diabetes Mellitus among Patients Attending General Outpatient Clinic of Federal Teaching Hospital Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Diabetes mellitus is a non-communicable disease that currently affects over 366 million people worldwide and its prevalence is likely to double by 2030. Therefore, the need to screen for diabetes mellitus has become an impetus. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of dysglycaemia and significance of familiar risk factors for diabetes mellitus among the study population. One hundred and thirty-two and 48 consecutive non-previously diagnosed DM and previously diagnosed DM patients respectively were recruited from the same clinic. An interviewer administered questionnaire was applied and blood samples were taken for blood glucose. The prevalence of dysglycaemia was 36.2% and only 40.6% of the diabetic patients who did fasting blood glucose had glycaemic control. Family history of Diabetes mellitus in the first generation was significantly associated with chance of developing diabetic mellitus in the study population. In conclusion, it is important physicians begin to be very proactive in the screening for blood glucose in order to detect them early and forestall complications that are associated with late diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.