Research Paper: Frequency of Undiagnosed Diabetes Mellitus among Patients with Stroke

Background: Stroke is one of the common causes of disability and death in the world. Furthermore, diabetes mellitus is among the main risk factors for cerebrovascular events. However, a high percentage of individuals with diabetes mellitus are unaware of their disease. Objectives: To determine the frequency of Undiagnosed Diabetes mellitus (UD) in patients with stroke. Materials & Methods: In a descriptive cross-sectional study, all patients with stroke hospitalized in neurology ward of an academic hospital in the north of Iran were included in the study in 2016. A questionnaire was used to collect data including all demographic, laboratory and clinical factors such as high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia and stroke type. Finally, the data were analyzed using Chi square, Fisher’s exact test and multinomial binary logistic regression in SPSS V. 21. Results: Most samples were male (53.8%) with a mean age of 69.2±10.1 years. The percentage of the UD was 21.7% based on level of HbA1c. The highest percentage of UD was observed in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage(SAH) (66.7%). The frequency of UD in patients with family history of diabetes mellitus (16.7%) was lower than that in patients without that history (27.7%). There was a significant relationship between UD and cholesterol and triglyceride levels and, in general, dyslipidemia (P<0.05). Conclusion: In this study, a large percentage of patients with stroke suffered UD. Therefore, it is recommended that extensive screening be conducted for diabetes mellitus in the community in order to prevent stroke.