• Gloria Lopez Stewart, Marcos Tambascia, Juan Rosas Guzmán, Federico Etchegoyen, Jorge Ortega Carrión, and Sofia Artemenko.
• Latin American Diabetes Association and Universidad de Chile, División Occidente, Santiago, Chile. glopezstewart@mi.cl
• Rev. Panam. Salud Publica. 2007 Jul 1;22(1):12-20.

ObjectivesTo better understand how diabetes care and control are being administered by general practitioners/nonspecialists in private practice in nine countries of Latin America, and to identify the most significant patient- and physician-related barriers to care.MethodsA multicenter, cross-sectional, epidemiological survey was conducted in nine countries in Latin America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. General practitioners in private practice were asked to provide care and control data for patients 18 to 75 years of age with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), including demographics, medical and medication history, laboratory exams, and information on the challenges of patient management.ResultsOf the 3 592 patient questionnaires returned by 377 physicians, 60% of the patients had a family history of diabetes, 58% followed a poor diet, 71% were sedentary, and 79% were obese or overweight. Poor glycemic control (fasting blood glucose >or= 110 mg/dL) was observed in 78% of patients. The number of patients with HbA1c < 7.0% was 43.2%. Glycemic control decreased significantly with increased duration of T2DM. Comorbid conditions associated with T2DM were observed in 86% of patients; insulin use and comorbid conditions, especially those associated with microvascular complications, increased significantly disease duration. Ensuring compliance with recommended diet and exercise plans was the most-cited patient management challenge.ConclusionsBlood glucose levels are undercontrolled in T2DM patients in the private health care system in Latin America, particularly among those who have had the disease the longest (>15 years). Considering the differences between private and public health care in Latin America, especially regarding the quality of care and access to medication, further studies are called for in the public setting. Overall, a more efficient and intensive program of T2DM control is required, including effective patient education programs, adjusted to the realities of Latin America.

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