Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is rising at a rapid rate worldwide. As a chronic, incurable metabolic disease, diabetes affects a person’s life in all ways. Studies thus far have focused on the impact of diabetes on the physical and mental health of persons affected by the quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to explore the whole range of QoL deficits using the World Health Organization Quality of Life brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) in type-2 diabetic patients. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out among individuals aged at or above 15 years with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Patients with prior mental health illness and unwillingness to give consent were excluded. A pretested structured questionnaire including the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used for face-to-face interviews. Appropriate ethical measures were ensured. All statistical analyses were carried out using the statistical software STATA (Version 16.1). Graphs were created using R (Version 4.0.0). Results A total of 500 T2 DM patients with a mean age of 55.8 ± 13.2 years (± SD) and a female proportion of 50.8% were included. Overall, 22.2% of participants rated their QoL as poor, and 25% were dissatisfied with their health (as assessed by questions 1 and 2 of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire). More than half (54% and 51.2%, respectively) had an average evaluation of their QoL and health. The QoL scores were below average, with mean scores (± SD) for the physical health, psychological, social relationship, and environmental domains of 37.2 ± 20.5, 44.2 ± 21.0, 39.6 ± 23.2, and 41.6 ± 19.5, respectively. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the patient’s level of education and monthly family income were significant positive modifiers and that complications (nephropathy, retinopathy, and peripheral artery disease) were significant negative determinants of the QoL score in different domains. Conclusion This study found the overall quality of life among T2DM patients below average. Health authorities and clinicians should take these findings into account and incorporate necessary measures to ameliorate negative modifiers of the quality of life of sufferers.

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Insulin resistance syndromes are a heterogeneous group of disorders with variable clinical phenotypes, associated with increased blood glucose and insulin levels. A 20-year-old female, diabetic for 12 years, reported with hyperglycemia not responding to high dose of insulin; therefore, insulin dosage was increased but did not lead to appropriate glycemic control. Investigations revealed hyperglycemia (random blood glucose 23 mmol/L) glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) 9.2%. Ultrasonogram of the abdomen showed prominent ovaries with fatty liver. Echocardiography revealed mild mitral, pulmonary and tricuspid regurgitation and pulmonary hypertension. Based on the clinical features, skin changes and the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus, Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome (RMS) was considered. In last admission, she was admitted for hyperglycemic control and treated with intravenous fluids, insulin infusion, metformin, pioglitazone, linagliptin, hydroxychloroquine, sulphonylurea, antibiotics. There is no complete cure for the condition and the current treatments are difficult and not very promising. BIRDEM Med J 2022; 12(1): 83-87

Background: Since March 2019 the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Bangladesh. There is variable presentation of COVID-19. Though SARS-CoV-2 primarily involves respiratory system, as time passing on it is evident that it can affect any other system including gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and neurological system. This study described the characteristics of the patients admitted in Department of Endocrinology, BIRDEM General Hospital with non-COVID illness and later revealed positive for SARS-CoV-2. Methods: This observational study was conducted during the period of 13th April to 14thOctober, 2020.Data of all patients admitted in Department of Endocrinology, BIRDEM General Hospital during this period was retractedretrospectively from hospital electronic medical records with prior permission from institutional head. Though admitted for non-COVID illness, patientshavingsymptoms or supportive lab investigations of COVID- 19 were advised RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. All hospital records of these suspected COVID-19 cases wererecoded and analyzed by SPSS version 20. Results:Total patients were 63. Among them 21(33.3%) patients were admitted with uncontrolled diabetes (DM),19(30.2%) had other endocrinopathies(later query revealed history of fever),8(9.5%) had newly detected DM,11(7.5%)had hypoglycemia,6(9.6%) had general weakness. Though all study subjects were advised to do RT-PCR for COVID, 22(34.9%) refused the test either due to symptom denial or due to cost of the test and 24(38.1%) become positive. Conclusion: Non-critically ill COVID-19 patients had variable clinical characteristics. This study shows that uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, newly detected diabetes and hypoglycemia are found in patients with COVID- 19 and may not have typical clinical features. Birdem Med J 2020; 10, COVID Supplement: 29-32