Diabetes in New Zealand

While the ethnic make up of the New Zealand population is predominantly Eur opean, the Polynesian population, consisting of indigenous New Zealand Maor i and more recent immigrants from the other Pacific Islands is increasing r apidly. The prevalence of diabetes in these Polynesians is high. There is a lso an increasing prevalence of obesity, and obesity is a greater problem a mongst Polynesian people. The number of elderly people in the population is increasing. All of these demographic changes are increasing the incidence and prevalence of Type 2 diabetes. The incidence of Type I diabetes is also rising, although the reasons for this are unknown. Diabetic nephropathy is the most common cause of end stage renal failure in New Zealand. Polynesia n people with diabetes, and in particular Maori, have a very high rate of d iabetic nephropathy and develop renal failure at a more rapid rate than Eur opean patients with nephropathy relating to Type I diabetes. The propensity for Maori patients with Type 2 diabetes to develop renal failure may relat e to a younger age at the onset of diabetes, a genetic susceptibility to ne phropathy, and socio-economic or cultural factors leading to less adequate medical care. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.