Self-assessment of health status in patients with complicated type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of quality of life components

Objective. To identify the characteristics of the subjective health status in patients with complicated type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) based on the survey data.

Materials and methods. 387 women with type 2 DM having microvascular complications were examined; the control group – patients without DM (118 persons).

Results. The study showed that for women with complicated type 2 diabetes, physical activity restrictions were more significant than mental ones. They were 18 times more likely (95 % CI [3.25; 99.65], p < 0.05) to have physical problems than mental health problems. Subjective assessment of deterioration in physical condition depended on the duration of the disease, and not on age. There was no relationship between the components of the quality of life and indicators of carbohydrate metabolism, body mass index, waist circumference. Patients with type 2 DM are worse adapted in the society, there is observed a reduced level of "social activity" (58.1±1.8 versus 63.2±2.3; p=0.05, respectively).

Conclusions. The low quality of life, from the point of view of patients with complicated type 2 diabetes, is associated with physical and mental components. Limited physical activity in comparison with mental is more significant for patients. The lack of relationship between the quality of life indicators and objective data makes it possible to assert that their improvement does not influence the subjective assessment of a patient that is important for physicians to consider.