The Poole Diabetes Study: how many cases of Type 2 diabetes are diagnosed each year during normal health care in a defined community?
We have investigated the incidence of newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes in the Poole area and extrapolated it to the rest of the UK.


METHODS
this prospective observational study used a surveillance programme in primary and secondary care. We identified all cases of newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes mellitus occurring from 1st May 1996 to 30th June 1998 through the normal health care process without any active screening in 186889 people registered with 24 primary care practices in the Poole area.


RESULTS
the 1996 prevalence of diagnosed Type 2 diabetes in this population was 1.59 (95% CI 1.53-1.65%)%. During the first 24 months of the study, 706 new cases of Type 2 diabetes mellitus, 382 men and 324 women, were identified. The crude annual incidence of newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes, thus was 1.93/1000 (95% CI 1.73-2.13%) and age/sex adjusted incidence was 1.67/1000 (95% CI 1.49-1.84%). The age-adjusted incidence was higher in men, 1.86/1000 (95% CI 1.60-2.13), than in women, 1.48/1000 (95% CI 1.25-1.71%), relative risk 1.26 (95% CI 0.997-1.527%), but this difference did not reach statistical significance. Mean HbA1c at diagnosis was 10.8 (S.D. 2.9%)%. Men were younger at diagnosis than women (mean age, 62.9 vs. 65.9%, P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
in UK, prior to the change in the WHO diagnostic criteria for diabetes, we estimate that over 98000 new cases of Type 2 diabetes were diagnosed each year.
Gatling
W
W
Department of Diabetes, Poole Hospital NHS Trust, Longfleet Road, Dorset, BH15 2JB, Poole, UK.
Guzder
R N
RN
Turnbull
J C
JC
Budd
S
S
Mullee
M A
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin