Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus, Impaired Glucose Regulation, and their anthropometric risk factors in elderly residents of rural Ukraine. Preliminary data

Abstract

The latest epidemiologic research of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) in Ukraine was conducted according to outdated criteria, and did  not include rural population. This paper shows the first results of a new investigation, performed in association with health institutions of Kyiv region. A glucose  tolerance test, according to 1990 WHO criteria, determining glucose venous plasma levels, as well as anthropometric measurements (arterial blood pressure, height,  weight, circumference of abdomen, hips, and neck) were performed in 99 individuals, randomly selected from a total population of 540 persons, who were  permanent residents of rural communities, not registered as DM patients and older than 53 years old. DM was diagnosed in 13.1% of cases, IGT – in 19.2%, Impaired  Fasting Glucose (IFG) – in 12.1% of cases. Previously only 4.4% of local residents of this age category had DM, therefore actual prevalence of this disease can be three  times higher, comparing to what we know. Anthropometric analysis among women revealed an association between the increase of body mass index, abdomen, hip  and neck circumference, and belonging to a DM group. DM risk (Odds Ratio - OR with 95% Confidential Intervals - CI) related to every extra 1 cm of neck circumference,  assessed according to a logistic regression model and standardized by gender and age is equal to OR=2.0 (95% CI 1.4-3.0), p<0.001.