Prevalence of diabetes mellitus in China.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in China.


METHODS
The Beijing Eye Study 2006 is a population-based investigation including 3251 subjects aged 45+ years. Anthropometric measurements and blood biochemical analyses were performed for 2960 (91.0%) subjects.


RESULTS
Defining diabetes mellitus as fasting glucose concentrations > or =7.0 mmol/L (detected in 227 subjects (prevalence rate: 7.67+/-0.49%)) or self-reported diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (154 subjects), 381 subjects were diabetic (prevalence rate: 12.87+/-0.62%). Within the diabetic group, 246 (64.6%) subjects were on diabetic diet or on additional anti-diabetic therapy, 205 (53.8%) subjects took oral anti-diabetic medication, and 44 (11.5%) subjects were on insulin therapy. Systemic complications due to diabetes mellitus were reported by 64 (16.8%) subjects. In multivariate analysis, diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with higher age, higher body mass index, higher systolic blood pressure, higher triglyceride concentrations, and lower high-density lipoprotein level. In addition, the diabetic subjects came significantly (P<0.001) more often from the urban region.


CONCLUSIONS
This prevalence figure translates into more than 30 million diabetic individuals in China. Compared with previous studies, it suggests an increasing diabetes prevalence.
Xu
L
L
Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital University of Medical Science, Beijing, China.
Xie
X
X
Wang
S
S
Wang
Y
Y
Jonas
J B
JB
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides