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Objective: The aim of this study was to define the incidence of type 2 diabetes in a low-risk Caucasian population in northern Spain and its association with various risk factors. Research Design and Methods: The “Asturias Study ” is a prospective, population-based survey of diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors. The baseline examination was carried out during 1998-1999 when 1034 individuals, aged 30-75 years, were randomly selected to determine the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes in the Principality of Asturias (northern Spain). In 2004-2005, these same subjects were invited for a follow-up examination. Seven hundred participated. This study includes only those individuals without diabetes at baseline. We used the WHO 1999 criteria to classify glucose metabolism at both baseline and follow-up. Results: The incidence of diabetes adjusted for the age and gender structure of Asturias was 10.8 cases per 1000 person/years (95 % confidence interval, 8.1