Evaluating the Impact of Early Screening on the Prognosis of Type 2 Diabetes in Urban Populations of India

Abstract

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a rapidly increasing issue of the Indian population health and is particularly common in the urban areas of India where lifestyle causes encourage the development and progression of type 2 diabetes. Early screening plays a significant role in enhancing the outcome of the patient better since it offers timely interventions. This study was aimed at examining the impact of early screening on the clinical outcome and complications prevalence of T2DM in urban India. The design of the study was cross-sectional cohort study that was conducted in 3 big urban cities, i.e., Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru. The patients were recruited (600 patients aged 30- 60 years in total) in two subgroups early-screened (diagnosed during the course of a regular screening before the symptoms appear, n = 300) and late-diagnosed (diagnosed when the symptoms appeared, n = 300). Medical records, laboratory findings, and structured interviews were used to obtain the data. The variables employed in the assessment of prognosis included the levels of HbA1c, complications, and adherence to the lifestyle modification programs. These statistical tests were chi-square tests, t-tests and multivariate logistic regression. The screened group showed significantly lower values of the mean HbA1c level (6.8 ± 0.7) as compared to the late-diagnosed group (8.3 ± 1.1, p = 0.001). The cases of complications such as neuropathy and retinopathy were significantly reduced in the early-screened cohort (12% vs. 28 p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that screening at a young age reduced the risk of acquiring complications by 45 percent (OR: 0.55; 95 percent CI: 0.38 -0.79). Diagnosis at an early stage is a significant contribution to the management of glycemia and a reduction in the rates of complications among urban Indian individuals with T2DM. Public health policies which promote periodic screening on the high-risk groups of individuals will bring about a substantial change in the long-run.