Hypoglycemia and associated cardiovascular diseases, morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in university teaching hospitals in Rwanda.

BACKGROUND

Hypoglycemia is a common yet underrecognized complication in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), often linked with increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Despite its clinical importance, there is a limited data on the association between hypoglycemia, CV events, and mortality among T2DM patients in Rwanda. This study investigated the occurrence of hypoglycemia and its association with CV diseases, morbidity, and mortality in T2DM patients attending two university teaching hospitals in Rwanda.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted using secondary data from 267 T2DM patients attending Kigali University Teaching Hospital (CHUK) and Butare University Teaching Hospital between 2015 and 2020. Socio-demographic and clinical data, including anti-diabetic medications, hypoglycemia episodes, CV events, and comorbidities, were extracted from medical records and analyzed using Python. Binary regression was used to determine significant predictors of hypoglycemia.

RESULTS

Hypoglycemia occurred in 112 (41.9%) patients during their hospitalization or hospital admissions. The use of insulin was significantly associated with hypoglycemia (OR = 1.590, CI: 1.100-2.290, p = 0.010). The mean age of patients who experienced hypoglycemia is 54.2 (±12.1) years. Hypoglycemia occurrence was higher in males (59.8%) group compared to females (40.2%) (p = 0.007). Cardiovascular conditions were common (73.8%), with hypertension being the most prevalent (85.4%). Insulin was the most frequently used anti-diabetic therapy (42.3%). A significant association was found between hypoglycemia and subsequent CV complications. Management of hypoglycemia predominantly involved the use of 50% dextrose solution.

CONCLUSION

Hypoglycemia is a frequent and clinically significant occurrence among T2DM patients in Rwanda, particularly associated with insulin therapy and CV comorbidities. Enhanced clinical monitoring and individualized treatment regimens are essential to mitigate hypoglycemia-related complications and reduce mortality. It is important to conduct a larger studies to support the evidence based findings and address the current methodological constraints.