Aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of long-term diabetic complications among type 2 diabetic patients in Benghazi. It was a cross-sectional study and included 952 type 2 diabetic patients (410 male subjects) aged 29-85 years. The patients were examined for evidence of coronary heart disease, diabetic retinopathy, macroproteiuria, peripheral arterial disease, peripheral neuropathy, cataract and amputations due to diabetes and diabetic foot. Hypertension was present in 33.4% of the subjects. The majority of the patients (58.3 %) were on oral hypoglycemic drugs, and only 3 patients were on diet control. About eighty per cent of the patients were poorly controlled. 27.7% percent of the patients were current smokers. 68.7% of the patients had complications, while 31.3% percent did not have any complication. 36.7% had one, 20.1 % had two, 9.6 % had three and 2.3 % had four or more complications. The overall prevalence of coronary heart disease was 14.9%, diabetic retinopathy 30.6%, peripheral neuropathy 47.1%, macroalbuminuria 25.8%, peripheral arterial disease 15.2% and cataract 13.1%, 1.1% of patients had their legs amputed below knee and 0.7% of them were blind. The prevalence of long-term diabetic complications was higher among poorly controlled than well-controlled patients. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the age of the patients and duration of diabetes were independent risk factors for the development of long term diabetic complications. This study provides a baseline data on long term complications of diabetes, among Libyans. Age, duration of diabetes and poor glycemic control were independent risk factors for the development of long-term diabetic complications.

Libya, diabetes-complications, glycemic control