Epidemiological patterns of hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Vietnam: Ecological study

An article entitled “Epidemiological Patterns of Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Vietnam. Ecological Study” by SUNI-SEA researchers was published in Research Square, November 2021.

Abstract:

Vietnam is a SEA country with a high burden of NCD and hypertension and diabetes are among the top contributors to premature mortality. The recent reviews reported the rapidly growing prevalence of these two chronic conditions in Vietnam. To investigate the epidemiological burden of HT and DM type 2 in Vietnam an ecological study employing secondary data analysis was conducted. The study was a part of the SUNI SEA project implementation with the aim to put the basis for the research hypothesis for the SUNI SEA project in Vietnam. Data from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation and Vietnamese Health statistics years books were analysed by linear and polynomial regression analyses, Kendall rank correlation and Pearson correlation. On average 19% of all deaths and 9% of all DALYs were associated with high SBP and 2% of all deaths and 2% of all DALYs were attributable to DM type 2 between 1990-2017 in Vietnam. Differences between genders were recognizable mainly in CVDs and high SBP death rates. The decrease in the number of elementary nurses, as well as the increase in health insurance expenditures per inpatient, seems to be with the highest certainty correlated with HT and type 2 DM death and DALYs rates. If the tracked progress remains at the same pace, in the category of Good health and well-being Vietnam seems not to be able to achieve the desired threshold by 2030 as committed by United Nations Member States in 2015. Developing regulatory frameworks and social demand for professionalism in Vietnam could encourage nurses to pursue higher education but the essential role of elementary nurses became more sensible. The health financing reform that shifts resources from hospital care to primary care should be developed to improve access to early diagnosis and chronic care.