Glycaemia and insulinaemia in elderly European subjects (70-75 years)

Aims To determine glycaemia and insulinaemia in elderly subjects aged 70-75 years, living across Europe, who participated in the EURONUT-SENECA (Surve y in Europe on Nutrition and the Elderly, a Concerted Action) study. Methods Easting plasma glucose (FPG) and fasting insulin concentrations wer e measured in 1830 subjects aged 70-75 years living in 15 traditional towns in 11 European countries. For the diagnosis of diabetes, the recommendatio ns of the 1997 report of the American Diabetes Association 'Expert Committe e on the diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus' were used. Results A total of 31.6% of the study subjects had either diabetes (17.5%) or impaired fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (14.1%). Fifty-one per cent of the subjects with diabetes were unaware of the disease. No difference in diabe tes prevalence was found for sex, but male subjects were more likely to hav e impaired FPG than female subjects (16.8 vs. 11.5%, P=0.001). Hyperinsulin aemia (fasting insulin levels in the highest quartile) was associated with increased FPG, body mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio. Conclusions It was found that a substantial number of elderly Europeans hav e impaired glucose homeostasis, with diabetes and impaired FPG being presen t in almost a third of European subjects aged 70-75 years.