Type II Diabetes Mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance in Yemen: prevalence, associated metabolic changes and risk factors.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of type II Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and identify the metabolic abnormalities and risk factors associated with these conditions in an urban city of Yemen.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, population-based study investigating 498 adults (245 males and 253 females) aged 25-65 years. The 1999 modified World Health Organization criteria were adopted for the diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus and IGT. A standard questionnaire was applied and blood lipids, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and waist/hip ratio (WHR) were determined.


RESULTS
The overall prevalence of type II Diabetes Mellitus was 4.6% (7.4% in males and 2% in females). Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) were found in 2% and 2.2% of the study population. Factors independently related to any abnormality in glucose tolerance, using logistic regression analysis, were sex, hyperlipidaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, and hypertension; whereas sex and age related to DM. More than 80% of the type II diabetics were over the age of 40, 35% being hyperlipidaemic, 22% being hypertensive and 18% obese. Sixty percent of IGT subjects were hyperlipidaemic and 20% were obese. Approximately 78% of obese individuals (>/=30 kg/m(2)) had normal glucose tolerance.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of type II DM and its potential increase reflected by the high prevalence of obesity in normal glucose tolerance subjects in the Yemeni population constitutes a major public health problem.
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sana'a, P.O. Box 19065, Sana'a, Yemen. malhabori@hotmail.com
Molham
M
Al-Habori
Mohamed
M
Al-Mamari
Ali
A
Al-Meeri
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D015006:Yemen / Q000453:epidemiology
D008055:Lipids