Estudio transversal sobre la prevalencia de diabetes tipo 2 en pacientes con obesidad atendidos en el área de medicina interna 1 del Hospital General Guasmo Sur (enero-marzo 2025).

Abstract

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), collectively referred to as "diabesity," are two closely interrelated chronic diseases whose global prevalence has experienced an alarming increase. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of T2DM in obese patients treated in the Internal Medicine Department of Guasmo Sur General Hospital between January and March 2025. Using an observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional design, 306 patient records were analyzed. The results showed that 32.76% (n=135) of the 412 admitted patients had obesity as a comorbidity. Of these, 31.11% (n=42) had an additional diagnosis of T2DM, with a higher prevalence in the 46-60 age group (especially in women, n=25). Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between age and the presence of T2DM (p=0.0434), with cases concentrated in adults over 45 years of age. Although a higher prevalence was apparently observed in women (22.2% vs. 12.7% in men), this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.1777). Additionally, patients with both conditions had a longer hospital stay compared to those with obesity alone (p=0.06269), suggesting greater clinical complexity. In conclusion, the high prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with obesity (31.11%) reinforces the close pathophysiological relationship between these entities, which is particularly evident in the older adult group. The absence of significant differences by sex suggests that obesity is an independent risk factor for T2DM in both groups.