PREVALENCE OF TYPE-2 DIABETES-MELLITUS AND RISK OF HYPERTENSION AND CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE IN RURAL AND URBAN-POPULATION WITH LOW RATES OFOBESITY

Objective: To compare the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD) and hypertension in DM in the rural and urban populations of north India. Design and methods: Two populati ons of the same ethnic background were randomly selected for this cros s sectional survey. There were 1769 rural (894 men, 875 women) and 180 6 urban subjects (904 men, 902 women) between 25-64 years of age. The survey methods included fasting and 2 h blood glucose and electro-card iogram and blood pressure measurement of all subjects. Results: Using the criteria of World Health Organization, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (6.0 vs 2.8%) hypertension (24.0 vs 17.0%) and CAD (9.0 vs 3. 2%) was significantly (P<0.001) higher in urban compared to rural subj ects. Hypertension and CAD were significantly more frequent among subj ects with diabetes compared to nondiabetes, The association of CAD and hypertension with diabetes was greater in urban than rural subjects. Excess body weight and obesity, central obesity, sedentary lifestyle, higher visible fat intake (>25 g/day), and social class 1-3 (higher an d middle) were significantly associated with diabetes. Multivariate lo gistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment of age and sex , body mass index, central obesity, sedentary lifestyle and higher vis ible fat intake and alcohol intake in men were significant risk factor s of diabetes among all the sub-groups. Conclusions: The study showed a high prevalence of diabetes in urban north Indian population compare d to rural subjects in the same ethnic group, CAD and hypertension wer e significantly associated with diabetes more in urban than rural subj ects. The findings suggest that higher body mass index, waist-hip rati o and visible fat intake and sedentary lifestyle were risk factors of diabetes. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.