title: Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance among Turkish immigrants in Sweden.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was higher among Turkish immigrants in Sweden, than in their area of origin in Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  238 Turkish immigrants aged 20 years and older living in Flemingsberg, Sweden, were compared with 1549 participants of the same age living in the Konya area of Turkey. Data collection included anthropometric measurements, blood pressure (BP) measurements, and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of laboratory-verified diabetes was 11.8% among participants in Sweden compared to 7.1% among participants in Turkey (p 0.018). Turkish women in Sweden had a higher prevalence of diabetes than Turkish women in Turkey, 12.8% vs. 7.6% (p=0.037). Similarly, IGT was 17.8% among Turkish men in Sweden compared to 4.9% among men in Turkey (p<0.001) and 2-h blood glucose was higher among the immigrants (p<0.001). Systolic BP was also higher among the immigrants, especially in men (p<0.001) who also had a higher BMI (p=0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The higher prevalence of diabetes and IGT among Turkish immigrants in Flemingsberg, Sweden, suggests that migration is associated with diabetes and that there are important implications for public health in Sweden.
authors.affiliation: Center for Family and Community Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. kristin.steiner@me.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hjörleifsdottir-Steiner
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Satman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sundquist
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wändell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose