title: Evidence for an increase in the prevalence of known diabetes in a sample of an urban population in Greece.
abstract: It is accepted that the prevalence of known diabetes mellitus has increased in some countries, although the available data are incomplete and sometimes anecdotal. In 1974 a sample of the urban population (n = 21,410) in a suburb of Athens (Greece) was evaluated for the prevalence of known diabetes mellitus. The study was repeated 17 years later in the same area under the same conditions and methodology on 12,836 randomly selected inhabitants (both sexes, all ages). Visiting nurses contacted the inhabitants at home and filled in a questionnaire. The results show a clear increase in diabetes prevalence of the population as a whole (standardized rates: 1974: 2.4% (95% confidence intervals 2.2-2.6%) 1990: 3.1 (2.8-3.4%)). Standardization was done on the basis of data obtained from the same census. The changes were statistically significant in the 50-59, 60-69, and 70-79 age groups (1974: 5.87, 10.98, and 11.41%; 1990: 7.70, 13.68, and 19.52%, respectively). Thus, the prevalence of known diabetes mellitus has considerably increased during the last 17 years in a sample of urban Greek population.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, Athens University Medical School, Greece.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katsilambros
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aliferis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Darviri
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tsapogas
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Alexiou
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tritos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arvanitis
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013997:Time Factors; D014505:Urban Population