Analysis of pre-diabetes-related factors in the elderly in Taiwan

[[abstract]]Prevalence of Diabetes mellitus (DM) has increased dramatically worldwide over the past decades. Here in Taiwan, the standardized mortality of diabetes has jumped from 23.6/100,000 in 1985 to 43.2/100,000 in 2010, one of the steepest increases among top leading causes of death in Taiwan. Studies point out that, for prevention purposes, more attention should be directed at the pre-diabetics, individuals who are in higher risk of becoming diabetic. In this study, we examined the prevalence of pre-diabetes and its associated risk factors among a national sub-sample of older adults in Taiwan. Data were derived from the Social Environment and Biomarkers of Aging Study (SEBAS) in Taiwan. Both lifestyle and behavior-related information and physical examination data were collected from 1023 elders aged 54 and over in 2000. Two criteria, fasting glucose greater than 100 mg/dl but less than 125 mg/dl or glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) between 5.7% to 6.4%, were used to determine the participant’s pre-diabetic status.Results showed that the prevalence of pre-diabetes was 45.1%, when participants met either of the two criteria. Pre-diabetic status was associated with higher Body Mass Index, abnormal triglyceride levels, and hypertensive, but it was not associated consumption of fruit and vegetable and regular exercise. More important, a significant proportion of the participants did not know that they were either diabetic or in pre-diabetic status. In Taiwan, most of the existing programs in combating diabetes have focused on how to improve the quality of care for diabetic patients. Therefore, primary prevention programs for the pre-diabetics are urgently needed