Lifestyle, metabolic compensation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and the risk of chronic disease complications

Introduction. Poorly-controlled diabetes mellitus leads to organ-related complications of this disease and in order to prevent such complications, change of lifestyle is of essential importance. By correcting metabolic control in patients with type 2 diabetes, it is possible to slow down their progress and prevent their further development. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of lifestyle on metabolic control of diabetes mellitus and on chronic complications. Material and method. The study included a group of 206 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus aged between 30 and 66 and older, with the duration of the disease up to 5 years. 183 fully completed questionnaires were finally analyzed. In the presented paper, a diagnostic survey was used as a research method, a technique which was an original questionnaire survey developed by the authors and an analysis of medical documentation. Results. The analysis of this research showed that there are no patients who would meet all the parameters of metabolic compensation. Lifestyle change after diabetes diagnosis was declared by 86.5% of the respondents; however, their confirmation does not reflect the clinical picture of the disease and the dietary habits presented by them. Diabetes complications were observed among respondents and were more common among the women (55.8%). Neuropathy was the most common of these complications. Conclusions. The respondents’ knowledge about the disease is not used in practice and does not translate into their lifestyle. The level of diabetes control among the population under examination does not significantly depend on their occupational activity, but shows slight dependence on their health behaviors. Lack of metabolic control of diabetes mellitus results in subsequent complications.