Immigrants from the Middle-East have a different form of Type 2 diabetes compared with Swedish patients.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the clinical characteristics of Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) between immigrants from the Middle-East and Swedish patients.


METHODS
The study group included 450 consecutive patients with T2DM, 379 Swedish-born aged 61 +/- 12 years and 71 patients originally from the Middle-East aged 50 +/- 11 years from the diabetes clinic of Malmo University Hospital.


RESULTS
Onset of diabetes had occurred 12 years earlier in the Middle-East immigrants compared with the Swedish-born patients (43 +/- 10 vs. 55 +/- 12 years, P < 0.001). Immigrants had lower fasting serum C-peptide [0.7 (0.1-2.6) vs. 0.9 (0.1-4.0) nmol/l, P = 0.013], lower homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)-beta[1.7 (0.1-9.1) vs. 2.7 (0.1-59.0), P = 0.010], lower HOMA-IR [0.4 (0.02-1.19) vs. 0.4 (0.01-2.8), P = 0.005] than the Swedish group. A first-degree family history of diabetes was reported in 61% of immigrants, compared with 47% of Swedish-born (P = 0.022).


CONCLUSIONS
Immigrants from the Middle-East have an earlier onset, stronger family history and more rapid decline of pancreatic B-cell function than Swedish patients, suggesting that they have a different form of T2DM compared with Swedish patients.
Glans
F
F
Department of Clinical Sciences, University Hospital UMAS, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. forouzan.glans@med.lu.se
Elgzyri
T
T
Shaat
N
N
Lindholm
E
E
Apelqvist
J
J
Groop
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000208:ethnology*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East / Q000208:ethnology; D010375:Pedigree; D013548:Sweden