Objective: To know the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and glucose intolerance (GIT) in the adult population in Asturias.
Methods: Population based, cross-sectional study. A total of 1,034 individuals (54,1%, women) aged 30-75 years were randomly selected. Individuals responded to a questionnaire, underwent physical examination, and an oral glucose overload test; vein blood was extracted to determine both basal and 2-hour glucose levels. The diagnostic criteria set up by the World Health Organization in 1985 were used.
Results: The overall DM2 prevalence was 9.9% (8.2% to 11.7%), known DM 4% (2.8% to 5.1%), unknown DM 5.9% (4.5% to 7.4%). The unknown diabetes/hnown diabetes ratio was 1.5/1. The prevalence of GIT was 13.3 % (11.3% to 15.2%). The prevalence of DM for the Segi population (30-64 years) was 8.2% among men and 5.2% among women. Factors independently associated with DM included age, increased blood pressure, family history of diabetes, obesity, and hypertriglyceridemia.
Conclusion: The prevalence of DM2 in the adult population of Asturias (9.9%) is moderately high and similar to that observed in our country and other white populations in the world. More than half of patients with DM are unaware of their condition; thus, planning strategies for and early diagnosis would be helpful for the high risk populations.