ASSOCIATION OF BODY BUILD WITH NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS AND HYPERTENSION AMONG CHINESE ADULTS - A 4-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

Both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies on the association of body build with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and hypertension were conducted in Taiwan during the period 1986-1990. The cross-sectional study, was carried out in 1986 in Ta-An District of Taipei City and five rural areas evenly distributed in Taiwan Province. A total of 11 478 randomly selected subjects aged 40 years or over were surveyed. World Health Organization designations of diabetes and hypertension were followed. The longitudinal observation was made in 1990 for the cohort living in Taipei City who had neither diabetes nor hypertension in 1986. Of 2822 subjects, 1873 individuals participated in the follow-up study and 52 had died, giving a response rate of 67.6%. In comparison with Caucasian or Polynesian populations, Chinese adults have a much lower prevalence of obesity (body mass index [BMI] >30 kg/m2). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed both diabetes and hypertension increased as body build became heavier. The age-adjusted prevalence ratio and relative risk for the fourth quartile of BMI compared to the first quartile were 2.72 and 2.87, respectively, for diabetes as well as 2.96 and 2.24, respectively, for hypertension. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed a slightly higher increase in prevalence of hypertension than that of diabetes for every 1 kg/m2 increase in BMI (1.16-fold and 1.12-fold, respectively), while a similar increase in BMI resulted in a slightly higher relative risk of diabetes than that of hypertension (1.14-fold and 1.11-fold, respectively). These findings suggest that, as for diabetes, there was little difference in the association between body build and prevalence or incidence of hypertension. Hypertension showed a three-fold greater prevalence and two-fold greater incidence than diabetes. This may be the result of higher mortality among diabetics.