The prevalence and identification of risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance in Kayseri, central Anatolia, Turkey

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease which causes neurologic, card iac, vascular, ocular and renal complications. The present study documented the prevalence of diabetes and associated risk factors in 1774 adults who were older than 30 years. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was conduct ed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Of the 1452 s ubjects, 58 (4%) had diagnosed diabetes, 41 (2.9%) undiagnosed diabetes and 130 (9%) had impaired glucose tolerance. The total glucose intolerance was 15.9%. The prevalences of type 2 diabetes mellitus (9.7%-4.1%) were signif icantly different in low occupational and high occupational activity groups , respectively (P<0.0001). The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was 1 7.9% among the hypertensive group (P<0.0001). The prevalence of type 2 diab etes mellitus was higher in smokers (P<0.05). Patients with diagnosed diabe tes, undiagnosed diabetes and IGT were older, more obese and have higher bl ood glucose values, triglyceride values, systolic and diastolic blood press ures than healthy subjects (P<0.001). We conclude that type 2 diabetes mell itus and IGT prevalences are quite high in the urban area of Kayseri, centr al Anatolia and multivariate analysis indicated that low occupational activ ity, low leisure activity, family history for diabetes, hypertension and ob esity were significant independent risk factors for diabetes mellitus.