Glycaemia and insulinaemia in elderly European subjects (70-75 years).
OBJECTIVE
To determine glycaemia and insulinaemia in elderly subjects aged 70-75 years, living across Europe, who participated in the EURONUT-SENECA (Survey in Europe on Nutrition and the Elderly, a Concerted Action) study.


METHODS
Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and fasting insulin concentrations were measured in 1830 subjects aged 70-75 years living in 15 traditional towns in 11 European countries. For the diagnosis of diabetes, the recommendations of the 1997 report of the American Diabetes Association 'Expert Committee on the diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus' were used.


RESULTS
A total of 31.6% of the study subjects had either diabetes (17.5%) or impaired fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (14.1%). Fifty-one per cent of the subjects with diabetes were unaware of the disease. No difference in diabetes prevalence was found for sex, but male subjects were more likely to have impaired FPG than female subjects (16.8 vs. 11.5%, P = 0.001). Hyperinsulinaemia (fasting insulin levels in the highest quartile) was associated with increased FPG, body mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio.


CONCLUSIONS
It was found that a substantial number of elderly Europeans have impaired glucose homeostasis, with diabetes and impaired FPG being present in almost a third of European subjects aged 70-75 years.
University of Bern, Switzerland.
A U
AU
Teuscher
K
K
Reinli
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A
Teuscher
D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D001824:Body Constitution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004032:Diet; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D015995:Prevalence; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin