High Prevalence of Diabetes in Adana, a Southern Province of Turkey

High Prevalence of Diabetes in Adana, a Southern Province of Turkey Adnan Gokcel , MD 1 , Akatli Kursat Ozsahin , MD 2 , Nurzen Sezgin , MD 3 , Hatice Karakose , MD 1 , Melek Eda Ertorer , MD 1 , Muhsin Akbaba , MD 4 , Nuh Baklaci , MD 1 , Aysegul Sengul , MD 5 and Nilgun Guvener , MD 1 1 Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Turkey 2 Department of Family Medicine, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Turkey 3 Department of Biochemistry, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Turkey 4 Department of Public Health, Cukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Turkey 5 Department of Internal Medicine; Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Turkey Address correspondence and reprint requests to Adnan Gokcel, MD, Baskent University, Medical Faculty, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Dadaloglu Mah, Serin Evler 39, Sok. No. 6, 01250, Yuregir, Adana, Turkey. E-mail: adnangokcel{at}superonline.com Abstract OBJECTIVE —To determine the prevalence of diabetes and glucose intolerance and their relationship with risk factors in Adana, a southern province of Turkey, where risk factors are more prominent, probably because of social and economic reasons. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —The study population included 1,637 randomly selected adults aged 20–79 years. Diagnosis of diabetes was based on plasma glucose values using the 1999 diagnostic criteria recommended by the World Health Organization. RESULTS —The crude prevalence of diabetes was 12.9% in men and 10.9% in women ( P = 0.207). Total prevalence of diabetes was 11.6%. The screening process identified previously undiagnosed diabetes in 4.2% of individuals and impaired glucose homeostasis (consisting of impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose) in an additional 4.3% of subjects. The prevalence of hypertension was 26.4% among men and 36.6% among women ( P < 0.0001). Total prevalence of hypertension was 32.9%, and prevalence of obesity was 43.4%. Age, sex, BMI, waist circumference, hypertension, family history of diabetes, and triglycerides were independently associated with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS —The prevalence of diabetes in Adana is higher than expected in both urban and rural areas. Obesity and hypertension also seem to be common metabolic disorders in this area. Age, hypertension, obesity, high triglyceride level, and family history of diabetes are independently associated with diab