Chronic disease is a major health burden and is a leading cause of both morbidity and mortality. However, there is little information regarding this topic in the region of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The objective of this study is to assess the pattern of chronic diseases and the role of age, gender, and number of visits in three primary care centers in this region.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted with patients treated at large three primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The study included all patients who attended one of the three centers within the past four years with one or more chronic diseases, and both genders were included.
Results
There were 700 patients included, of which 437 (62.4%) were female, 263 (37.6%) were male, 327 (31.8%) were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and 212 (20.6%) were diagnosed with primary hypertension. There was a significant association between the number of visits and number of diseases and between age and the number of visits. The mean age of patients was 50.7 ± 16.3 years. There was no significant association between gender and the number of diagnoses or number of visits.
Conclusion
This study found a significant relationship between age and the number of visits and number of diseases. T2DM was the most common disease in the population. There was no significant association between gender and the number of diseases or number of visits.