Glucose tolerance in a rural population of Bangladesh

Context: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing in the Bangladeshi population. However, there is little information available on the prevalence of glucose intolerance, ie, type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, and impaired fasting glucose. Aims : The main aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of different categories of glucose intolerance and their relationship with different anthropometric and demographic characteristics. Settings And Design : This cross-sectional study was performed in a rural area of Bangladesh. Materials and Methods : A random sample of 5000 persons aged 20 years was included in this study. Fasting blood glucose was measured in 3981 individuals and 2-h post-glucose blood sugar was measured in 3954 subjects after the known cases of diabetes (n = 27) were excluded. Height, weight, waist and hip circumference, and blood pressure were measured. Statistical Analysis : Pearson chi-squared test and correlation test were used for analysis as appropriate. Results : The prevalence of impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and diabetes (DM) were 1.3, 2.0, and 7.0, respectively. IFG, IGT, and IFG IGT were more prevalent in females. Age showed a significant positive relationship with increasing levels of glucose intolerance. Body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio were higher in the glucose-intolerant group than in the normal glucose tolerance (NGT) group. There was a positive correlation between FBG and 2-h BG in NGT and DM subjects. Conclusion : The FBG value identified more people with glucose intolerance than the 2-h BG. These findings should be of help in developing a diabetes prevention strategy in rural populations.