Prevalence of diabetes mellitus and glucose intolerance in the population aged 30 to 75 years in Asturias, Spain

Objective. To know the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and glucose intolerance (GIT) in the adult population in Asturias. Methods. Population based, cross-sectional study. A total of 1,034 individuals (54,1%, women) aged 30-75 years were randomly selected. Individuals responded to a questionnaire, underwent physical examination, and an oral glucose overload test; vein blood was extracted to determine both basal and 2-hour glucose levels. The diagnostic criteria set up by the World Health Organization in 1985 were used. Results. The overall DM2 prevalence was 9.9% (8.2% to 11.7%), known DM 4% (2.8% to 5.1%), unknown DM 5.9% (4.5% to 7.4%). The unknown diabetes/hnown diabetes ratio was 1.5/1. The prevalence of GIT was 13.3% (11.3% to 15.2%). The prevalence of DM for the Segi population (30-64 years) was 8.2% among men and 5.2% among women. Factors independently associated with DM included age, increased blood pressure, family history of diabetes, obesity, and hypertriglyceridemia. Conclusion. The prevalence of DM2 in the adult population of Asturias (9.9%) is moderately high and similar to that observed in our country and other white populations in the world. More than half of patients with DM are unaware of their condition; thus, planning strategies for and early diagnosis would be helpful for the high risk populations.