P. Gourdy et al., Prevalence of type 2 diabetes and impaired fasting glucose in the middle-aged population of three French regions - The MONICA study 1995-97, DIABETE MET, 27(3), 2001, pp. 347-354
Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of type 2
diabetes and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in a population-based sample o
f 3 508 subjects, aged 35-64 years, participating in the French MONICA popu
lation survey from 1995 to 1997 in three French regions: the Urban Communit
y of Lille, the Bas-Rhin and the Haute-Garonne.
Material and methods: Previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes is defined by th
e current use of oral hypoglycaemic treatment and newly diagnosed subjects
by fasting plasma glucose (FPG) greater than or equal to 7.0 mmol/L accordi
ng to the ADA 1997 recommendations. IFG was determined by 6.1 less than or
equal to FPG less than or equal to 6.9 mmol/L. Adjusted prevalences are cal
culated according to the French 1990 census data.
Results: Type 2 diabetes adjusted prevalence is 5.1% [4.1-6.1] in women and
7.3% [6.1-8.4] in men while IFG adjusted prevalence is 5.2% [4.2-6.2] and
11.8% [10.3-13.4] respectively. Prevalences of type 2 diabetes and IFG are
both significantly higher in men than in women. This trend ap pears in any
age group for IFG, but is only observed in 55-64 year-old subjects for type
2 diabetes. The reduction of the FPG threshold to screen diabetes mellitus
from 7.8 to 7.0 mmol/L according to the ADA recommendations results in a 2
.2-fold increase in the number of newly diagnosed diabetic subjects, screen
ed by one FPG measurement, in our population-based sample.
Conclusions: The MONICA population survey confirms that type 2 diabetes rep
resents a major health care problem in France and underlines the influence
of gender on the prevalence of both type 2 diabetes and IFG in the French m
iddle-aged population.