To identify the risk factors for high prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in Indian rural population

AIM: The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of diabetes in the rural population and to identify the major risk factors that may be the cause for increase incidence in rural population. METHODOLOGY: A study population comprising of 1022 individuals in the Malwan area of Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, age >20 years were selected for investigation. These individuals were analyzed for their biochemical parameters by Standard Randox kits. Both fasting blood glucose and post 2-hour glucose after 75 gm of powdered glucose intake were analyzed. Baseline clinical data like height, weight and blood pressure as well as family history were recorded by the standard methods. RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes (i.e., fasting blood glucose) as per the WHO criteria was 9.3% while it was 8.9% per ADA criteria. The prevalence according to 2-hr post-glucose blood glucose was 9.3%. The prevalence of IGT was 2.25% in subjects 50 years. IGT values also increase with increasing age and BMI. The accepted normal fasting and 2-hr post glucose blood glucose values are <6.1 mM/l and <7.8 mM/l. From our studies (N = 1022) we found the mean fasting glucose blood glucose was 5.31 ± 1.99 mM/l while 2 hr post glucose, blood glucose increased to 5.66 ± 4.09 mM/l. The mean fasting glucose in 95 diabetic individuals was 9.37 ± 4.43 mM/l and the 2 hrs post glucose blood glucose was 14.85 ± 8.51 mM/l, which was found to be highly significant. CONCLUSION: It was observed that the mean blood glucose in diabetic patients was 9.37 ± 4.43 mM/l with a prevalence rate of 9.3% which is highly significantly in the rural population. Compared to the general risk factors found in the urban populations we found that