The Journal of Bucharest College of Physicians and the Romanian Academy of Medical Sciences

Abdellatif Maamri

Abdellatif Maamri

Diet, Physical Activity, and Their Impact on Chronic Diseases (Hypertension and T2DM) among North-Eastern Morocco’s Population

Morocco is a country in “nutritional transition”, with a traditional Mediterranean food model that is increasingly moving towards a Western model. To study this transition, we aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic diseases (hypertension and T2DM) and their associated factors such as food consumption and physical activity in an adult population in two provinces in the eastern region (Berkane and Nador). A food frequency and physical activity analysis questionnaire (IPAQ International Physical Activity Questionnaire) was used. The results showed a total prevalence of T2DM of 23% and of hypertension of 18%, of which 12% were new cases of T2DM and 6% were incidentally discovered hypertensives. A dietary imbalance was observed more in type 2 diabetics than in hypertensives, either through overconsumption of fatty products, red meats (p=0.006), dairy products (p=0.0001), and sweet products (p=0.015) or through underconsumption of fruit and vegetables (p=0.043) and cereals (p=0.004). In total, 47% of our respondents were strongly adherent to the Mediterranean diet, compared with 53% who were poor adherents. Adherence was unequal among T2DM and hypertensive patients (46.15% vs. 39%). According to the IPAQ questionnaire, 57% were inactive and the vast majority 98% were sedentary. The same trend was observed in diabetics and hypertensives, who were inactive in 44% and 59% respectively, and more sedentary in 98% of cases of T2DM and 99% of cases of arterial hypertension. This study shows an imbalance in the diet of the general and specific populations, either through over- or under-consumption of certain food products. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was high in 47% of cases, suggesting that the remaining 53% were adopting a Western diet and that this community was inactive and highly sedentary, putting them at greater risk of chronic disease in the future.

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Study of Modifiable Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases (hypertension and diabetes type 2) in the Province of Berkane: Eastern Region of Morocco

Background: The prevalence of mortality due to chronic diseases is quite high in Morocco (80%), where hypertension and type 2 diabetes are the tip of the iceberg.
Aims: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of chronic disease: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, and the profile of modifiable risk factors in the eastern region of Morocco (Berkane).
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of adults (≥ 18 years) consulting at health centers in primary care facilities. It involved a total of 404 participants. The questionnaire used includes socio-demographic, clinical and biological information of the consultants, Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the factors associated with chronic disease (CD).
Results: The prevalence of T2DM was 21% and that of hypertension was16.58%, undiagnosed T2DM constituted 12.12% and unknown hypertension 5.44%.The risk factors (RF) detected in the overall population were physical inactivity 74%, abdominal obesity 61%, sedentary lifestyle 57.42%, overweight 40%, peripheral obesity 31%, stress 47.27%, smoking 7% and alcohol use 3%. While the common RF incriminated in the pathogenesis of T2DM and hypertension were general overweight (p= 0.014) vs (p= 0.014), or visceral overweight (p= 0.016) vs (p= 0.0001).
Conclusion: In the long term, diabetics and hypertensives are at risk of developing several complications that are detrimental to their health status and costly to the health system.

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Prevalence and Risk Factors for Diabetic Complications: 8-Year Retrospective Report from a Single Regional Diabetes Center to the Eastern Region of Morocco

Objective: This study aims to investigate the risk factors of diabetes and its complications in the eastern region.

Design: This is a retrospective study conducted on diabetic patients followed at the regional center of diabetology and chronic diseases in Oujda for the period 2012-2019.


Materials and Methods: Clinical, biological, therapeutic and anthropometric data were collected from patient records.


Result: A total of 3.976 patients participated in the study. The frequency of complications is around 1/3. One diabetic out of four has at least one modifiable cardiovascular risk factor: arterial hypertension at 25.35%, dyslipidemia at 12.67%, overweight and obesity at 35.48% and 27.8%. The most discriminating factors in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications in order of importance are age of diabetes, hypertension, HbA1c and dyslipidemia, statistically significant associations were found with p 0.0082, 0.0001, 0.002, 0.0001 respectively). Then a multifactorial analysis coupled with a hierarchical ascending classification in birth data to two large groups of diabetics with complications and those without complications.
Discussion: The age of trend T2DM has fallen to less than 40 years, so that the first characteristics of an epidemiological and nutritional transition are being established in our region. In addition, blood pressure and glycemic imbalance in diabetics reflect a problem of medical and therapeutic management that needs to be resolved.


Conclusion: The pathogenesis of diabetic complications is multifactorial. However, medical care must be taken to reduce the risk of degenerative complications.

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