Table 2

- Prevalence of chronic diseases (diagnosed and screened)a in Saudi males and females in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia.

DiseaseDiagnosed and screenedTotal prevalence
Diabetes mellitusDiagnosed casesb Males =162, Females=438Raised HbA1c on screening (≥6.5)Total prevalencec (N=2962) (both diagnosed and screened) Males=961, Females=2001
Controlled HbA1c ≤7.0Uncontrolled HbA1c >7.0
Male70 (7.3)92 (9.6)33 (4.1)195 (20.3)
Female203 (10.1)235 (11.8)59 (2.9)497 (24.8)*
Total273 (9.3)327 (11.0)92 (3.1)692 (23.4)
HypertensionDiagnosed casesbMales= 145, Females= 396Raised blood pressure reading on screening only > 140 or/and > 90Total prevalencec (N=2987) (only physician diagnosed) Males=968,Females=2029 Total=2987
Controlled <140 and <90Uncontrolled≥ 140 or/and ≥ 90
Males63 (6.5)82 (8.5)134 (16.3)145 (15.0)
Females225(11.1)171 (8.4)**148 (9.1)396 (19.5)
Total288 (9.6)253 (8.4)282 (11.5)541 (18.1)
HypercholesterolemiaDiagnose d casesb Males= 174, Females= 516Raised cholesterol levels on screening ≥5.2 mmol/LTotal prevalencec (N=2985) (both diagnosed & screened) Males=965, Females=2020
Controlled <5.2 mmol/LUncontrolled ≥5.2 mmol/L
Males98 (10.1)76 (7.9)315 (32.6)489 (50.7)
Females236 (11.6)280 (13.9)***563 (27.9)1079 (53.4)
Total334 (11.1)356 (11.9)878 (29.4)1568 (52.5)
Body mass indexOverweightb BMI ≥25.0 - ≤29.99Obesityb BMI ≥30Total prevalencec (N=2997) Males = 968, Females = 2029
Male363 (37.5)399 (41.2)762 (78.7)
Female587 (28.9)1149 (56.7)§1739 (85.7)
Total950 (31.7)1548 (51.7)2504 (83.6)
Waist circumferenceCentral obesityb Male >90 - <102 cms, Female >80 - <88 cmsHigh central obesityb Male >102cms, Female >88cmsTotal prevalencec (N=2997) Males = 968, Females = 2029
Male256 (26.4)286 (29.5)542 (56)
Female435 (21.4)1252 (61.7)1687 (83.1)
Total691 (23.0)1538 (51.3)2229 (74.4)
  • a Diagnosed cases were physician diagnosed and those identified on screened were identified on conducting blood tests, bRow percentage cColumn percentage, dMissing data: DM males=7 and females=28; High cholesterol males= 3 and females = 8; Hypertriglyceridemia males=12 and females=30, p-values calculated using the Chi square test, *Total prevalence of diabetes mellitus in females compared to males: odds ratio (95%CI)=1.30 (1.16, 1.56), p=0.006, **Uncontrolled cases of hypertension in females compared to males: odds ratio (95%CI) = 0.57 (0.39, 0.84), p=0.004, ***Uncontrolled cases of hypercholesterolemia in females compared to males: odds ratio (95%CI) = 1.60 (1.12, 2.25),p=0.008, §Prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥30) in females compared to males: odds ratio (95% CI) = 2.02 (1.63, 2.50), p<0.001, Prevalence of central obesity in females compared to males: odds ratio (95% CI) = 2.12 (1.72, 2.61), p<0.001, Prevalence of high central obesity in females compared to males: odds ratio (95% CI)= 5.45 (4.50, 6.60), p<0.001