Elevated risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome among Asians and south Asians: results from the 2004 New York City HANES.
OBJECTIVE
Although numerous studies have identified an elevated risk of diabetes or impaired fasting glucose among Asians, there are limited data examining variability in risk among Asian subpopulations. We estimated prevalence of diabetes (DM), metabolic syndrome (MS) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG), by race/ethnicity and by Asian subgroup.


METHODS
This study was conducted using the fasting subsample of the 2004 New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NYC HANES; n = 1,324), a local version of the NHANES. Using country of origin information, we constructed South Asian and other Asian categories.


METHODS
DM, MS and IFG.


RESULTS
Age-standardized prevalence estimates of DM, MS and IFG were 10.8%, 13.3% and 21.4% among Whites, 16.1%, 12.0% and 32.4% among all Asians, and 35.4%, 17.7% and 15.9% among foreign-born South Asians, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, Asians had significantly higher odds of prevalent IFG (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR]:2.64; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.60-4.38) and MS (AOR:2.09; 95%CI: 1.19-3.68), compared to Whites. South Asians were more likely to have DM (AOR:4.88; 95%CI: 1.52-15.66) and MS (AOR:5.59; 95%CI: 1.69-18.50) compared to Whites, while other Asians were at increased prevalence of IFG (AOR:2.89; 95%CI: 1.65-5.07).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that the observed White/Asian disparity in DM risk may be primarily attributable to elevated risk among South Asians.
Rajpathak
Swapnil N
SN
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. swapnil.rajpathak@einstein.yu.edu
Gupta
Leena S
LS
Waddell
Elizabeth Needham
EN
Upadhyay
Ushma D
UD
Wildman
Rachel P
RP
Kaplan
Robert
R
Wassertheil-Smoller
Sylvia
S
Wylie-Rosett
Judith
J
D000328:Adult; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D001786:Blood Glucose