IMPACT OF THE NEW DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA ON THE PREVALENCE OF PATHOGLYCEMIC STATUS

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to establish the impact of the diagnostic criteria on the prevalence of different pathoglycemic status (diabetes mellitus, impaired glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose and the combination of the latter) as well as the assessment of the glycemic status in the general population of the Timis county. Subjects and method: This study was conducted in two groups of subjects from Timisoara: group A which included 833 subjects, of which 364 males (43.7%) and 469 females (56.%) aged 46.9 ± 12.8 (18-79) years who underwent the oral glucose tolerance test and group B including 530 subjects, 262 males (49.4%) and 268 females (50.6%) aged 50 ± 13.7 (18-77) years, who also underwent the oral glucose tolerance test between 1990-1996 for the early detection of diabetes mellitus. The only criterion for the inclusion in the study was that none of the subjects had been previously clearly diagnosed with diabetes mellitus or other disorder of the carbohydrate metabolism. Results: In group A, the prevalence of pathoglycemic status, according to the present recommendations for the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (WHO 1999), was 28.2% and after the WHO criteria from 1985, 22.9%. In group B, according to the WHO criteria from 1999 the prevalence of pathoglycemic states was 18.5% and after the WHO criteria from 1985, 10.5%. Conclusions: The replacement of the diagnostic criteria from 1985 with those from 1999 resulted in the increase of the pathoglycemic status, especially for diabetes mellitus, through the lowering of the fasting glycemia value used as threshold for its diagnosis, from 140 mg% to 126 mg%. According to the data presented, taking into account the same interpretation criteria (WHO 1999), the prevalence of diabetes mellitus increased from 6% in the period 1990-1996, to 9.1% at present.