Diabetes and related metabolic risk factors among Arab Americans.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the incidence of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and associated metabolic abnormalities such as impaired glucose tolerance, increased blood pressure, hyperinsulinemia, and obesity in the Arab-American community in the Detroit metropolitan area.


METHODS
Subjects were selected randomly from a computer-generated list provided by the Arab-American Center for Economic and Social Services. Laboratory studies included a 2-hour, 75-g oral glucose tolerance test with glucose, insulin, and C-peptide determinations.


RESULTS
Of the 105 volunteers studied, 57 were women and 48 were men. Mean +/- SD age was 46.0 +/- 13.0 years. Body mass index was 30.4 +/- 6.8 kg/m2, with 68% of subjects having a body mass index of 27 kg/m2 or more. Of the study participants, 33% had NIDDM, 8.6% had impaired glucose tolerance, and 58% had normal glucose tolerance. Subjects with diabetes, compared with subjects who had normal glucose tolerance, exhibited increased fasting insulin (98 +/- 69 vs 55 +/- 31 pmol/L; p = 0.00056); higher cholesterol (6.03 +/- 1.03 vs 5.09 +/- 1.22 mmol/L; p = 0.00073); marginally lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (0.98 +/- 0.21 vs 1.14 +/- 0.31 mmol/L; p = 0.054); higher triglycerides (7.84 +/- 5.79 vs 3.83 +/- 2.15 mmol/L; p = 0.00002); and higher diastolic (83.7 +/- 8.9 vs 78.3 +/- 8.0 mm Hg; p = 0.014) as well as systolic (132.5 +/- 16.0 vs 119.0 +/- 10.6 mm Hg; p = 0.00001) blood pressures


CONCLUSIONS
This pilot study demonstrates that diabetes may be a frequent medical problem in the Arab-American community. A well-designed epidemiologic study is warranted to validate these results and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for these findings.
Jaber
L A
LA
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University Detroit, MI 48201, USA
Slaughter
R L
RL
Grunberger
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East / Q000208:ethnology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D012307:Risk Factors