PREVALENCE OF DIABETES AND IGT IN YONCHON COUNTY, SOUTH-KOREA

OBJECTIVE-To determine the prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in Yonchon County of South Korea and to investigate t heir associated factors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-We performed a po pulation-based cross-sectional study with random cluster sampling of r esidents greater than or equal to 30 years of age. Among the 3,804 res idents sampled, a total of 2,520 participants had a standard 75-g oral glucose tolerance test and answered a detailed questionnaire. We also collected standard anthropometric data. RESULTS-If the data for parti cipants in the age range of 30-64 years were adjusted to the standard world population, the prevalence of diabetes was 7.2% and the prevalen ce of IGT was 8.9%. It was observed that the significant factors assoc iated with diabetes were waist-to-hip circumference ratio, serum trigl yceride levels, age, systolic blood pressure, family history of diabet es, and locality. CONCLUSIONS-The prevalence of diabetes in Yonchon Co unty was substantially higher than was previously suggested. The risk of diabetes increased with the increased central obesity and metabolic disturbances associated with insulin resistance.