Lipid Control in Patients with Diabetes across Primary and Tertiary Government Health Sectors in Dubai: A Five-year Pattern

OBJECTIVES: A key aspect for the prevention of vascular complications in diabetes is control of hyperlipidemia, and that has always been a global challenge. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the UAE is estimated to be 18.98%. However, despite this high prevalence, very few studies have evaluated the control of lipids in patients with diabetes in our region. We sought to assess lipid control in patients with diabetes across the different sectors of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) over five years (2012–2016). Additionally, we aimed to compare lipids control in both primary and tertiary care as well as between nationalities and diabetes types. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the electronic medical records of all patients within the DHA over five years. All patients with diabetes were included, and evaluation of lipids panel control was done according to the American Diabetes Association standards. RESULTS: This review includes a total of 26 447 patients. The mean low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was lower in tertiary care patients across the years. Annual means of all lipid parameters were higher in primary care patients. Around 60.5% of patients achieved LDL levels < 100 mg/dL. Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels < 130 mg/dL were achieved in 67.9% of patients in tertiary care in 2012 compared to 60.9% in primary care. UAE nationals had better lipids control across the study duration compared to expatriates. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest cohort of patients evaluated for diabetes and lipids control in the UAE and the Middle East region. The percentage of patients with diabetes across the DHA primary and tertiary health care centers achieving lipid targets is amongst the highest reported in the region and, perhaps, globally. Significantly better lipid control indices were achieved in tertiary care compared to primary care.