Association of younger age with poor glycemic control and obesity in urban african americans with type 2 diabetes.
BACKGROUND
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is highly prevalent in minority populations in the United States. We studied the relationship of age to glycemic control in a predominantly urban African American population with type 2 diabetes.


METHODS
We selected all patients with type 2 diabetes who were enrolled in the Grady Diabetes Clinic, Atlanta, Ga, between April 1, 1991, and December 31, 1998, and had a hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) level measured at their initial visit and at follow-up 5 to 12 months later (n = 2539). Patients were divided into 4 age categories: less than 30 years, 30 to 49 years, 50 to 69 years, and more than 69 years old. We also studied the relationship of age to HbA(1c) level in a primary care clinic.


RESULTS
At baseline, average HbA(1c) levels were 9.9%, 9.5%, 9.2%, and 8.8% in the 4 groups ranked in increasing age, respectively (P<.001), and body mass indexes (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) were 37.8, 33.9, 31.6, and 29.2, respectively (P<.001). On follow-up, HbA( 1c) level improved in all groups (P<.001), but there was still a trend for younger patients to have higher levels of HbA(1c). There was little change in body mass index with time. Younger age, longer diabetes duration, higher body mass index, less frequent interval visits, and treatment with oral agents or insulin were associated with a higher HbA(1c) level at follow-up. Our findings in a primary care clinic showed also that HbA( 1c) level and body mass index were negatively correlated with age (P<.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data show a high prevalence of obesity and poor glycemic control in young adult urban African Americans with diabetes.
El-Kebbi
Imad M
IM
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
Cook
Curtiss B
CB
Ziemer
David C
DC
Miller
Christopher D
CD
Gallina
Daniel L
DL
Phillips
Lawrence S
LS
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013997:Time Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin