title: Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in an Asian community in Tanzania.
abstract: The prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance has been determined in an Asian Muslim community in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Two-h oral glucose (75 g) tolerance tests were performed on 1049 subjects over 14 years old, who were fasting, from a random sample of families. The overall age and sex-adjusted prevalence of diabetes was 7.1% (4.4% known, 2.7% previously undiagnosed) with a steady increase from 0.8% at 15-24 years and 3.0% at 25-34 years, to 24.9% for 65 years and over. Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) rates ranged from 11.4% (15-24 years) to 22.3% (over 64 years). The overall age-adjusted prevalence of IGT was 21.5%. The mean body indices (BMIs) were 24.3 and 26.4 for males and females, respectively, but age-adjusted diabetes rates were similar in the two sexes (7.0% and 7.6%, respectively). Diabetes and IGT were commoner in those with BMI greater than 25 only in the older age groups. Diabetes and IGT were commoner in those with a family history of diabetes. Increasing parity was also associated with a higher diabetes prevalence. Diabetes and IGT are thus common in Asians in Tanzania, in contrast to the indigenous community. Rates are indeed higher than in most other immigrant Asian communities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Swai
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: McLarty
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sherrif
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Chuwa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maro
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lukmanji
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kermali
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Makene
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Alberti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013636:Tanzania
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose