South African Indians show a high prevalence of NIDDM and bimodality in plasma glucose distribution patterns

Diabetes Care. 1994 Jan;17(1):70-3. doi: 10.2337/diacare.17.1.70.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and to test for bimodality in the plasma glucose distribution in South African Indians.

Research design and methods: Subjects were selected by systematic cluster sampling in various areas of Durban. They underwent a modified glucose tolerance test whereby fasting and 2-h postglucose (75 g) plasma glucose levels were measured. The program MIX was used to test for bimodality in the plasma glucose distribution.

Results: We tested 2,479 subjects (1,441 women and 1,038 men). Based on the revised World Health Organization criteria, the crude prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 9.8%, and the crude prevalence of IGT was 5.8%; the age- and sex-adjusted prevalence was 13.0 and 6.9%, respectively. IGT was significantly more common in men (7.6%) than in women (4.4%). Obesity was a feature of both diabetes mellitus and IGT, particularly in women. Both fasting and 2-h plasma glucose values did not conform to a single normal distribution pattern in any age-group, whereas unequivocal evidence of bimodality was seen in the 55- to 74-year age-group of both sexes for fasting and 2-h glucose and also in the 2-h levels of men in the 25- to 34-year age-group.

Conclusions: This study has highlighted a high prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in South African Indians and bimodality in the plasma glucose distribution.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / blood*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / epidemiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • India / ethnology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • Sex Factors
  • South Africa / epidemiology
  • White People

Substances

  • Blood Glucose