Effects of socioeconomic status on hyperglycemia and retinopathy levels in Mexican Americans with NIDDM.
Mexican Americans have a threefold greater prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) than non-Hispanic Whites. Moreover, Mexican-American diabetic people have more severe hyperglycemia and diabetic retinopathy than non-Hispanic White diabetic people. Mexican Americans are predominantly of low socioeconomic status (SES), and low-SES Mexican Americans have a higher prevalence of NIDDM than higher-SES Mexican Americans. Therefore, we hypothesized that among diabetic people, low SES would be associated with more severe hyperglycemia and retinopathy. Three hundred forty-three Mexican Americans and 79 non-Hispanic Whites with NIDDM were identified from the San Antonio Heart Study, a population-based study of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Hyperglycemia was assessed as the sum of the fasting, 1-h, and 2-h plasma glucose concentrations during a standard oral glucose tolerance test. Retinopathy was assessed by 7 standard stereoretinal photographs. SES was assessed with three indicators: Duncan's socioeconomic index, education, and income. Contrary to expectations, low SES was not associated with greater levels of hyperglycemia or grades of retinopathy.
Haffner
S M
SM
Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284.
Hazuda
H P
HP
Stern
M P
MP
Patterson
J K
JK
Van Heuven
W A
WA
Fong
D
D
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013781:Texas; D044465:White People
D001786:Blood Glucose