The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and impaired fasting glucose/glycaemia (IFG) in suburban and rural Nepal—the communities-based cross-sectional study during the democratic movements in 1990

• Published in: Diabetes research and clinical practice Vol. 67; no. 2; pp. 167 - 174
• Main Authors: Sasaki, Haruka, Kawasaki, Terukazu, Ogaki, Tetsuro, Kobayashi, Sigeru, Itoh, Kazue, Yoshimizu, Yutaka, Sharma, Sashi, Acharya, Gopal P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-02-2005
• Subjects: Adult; Blood Glucose - analysis; Body Mass Index; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus - etiology; Diet; Exercise; Fasting; Female; Glucose Intolerance - epidemiology; Humans; Impaired fasting glucose/glycaemia (IFG); Life Style; Male; Middle Aged; Nepal; Nepal - epidemiology; Oxygen Consumption; Politics; Prevalence; Rural Population; Urban Population; Nepal; V O 2 max; Prevalence; FRA; F-IRI; Diabetes mellitus; Impaired fasting glucose/glycaemia (IFG); DM; HOMA; IFG; FPG; ADA; Nepal
• ISSN: 0168-8227; 1872-8227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2004.06.012

A rising prevalence of Type 2 diabetes and impaired fasting glucose/glycaemia (IFG) was recently reported in the urban areas of Nepal by Singh and Bhattarai [D.L. Singh, M.D. Bhattarai, High prevalence of diabetes and impaired fasting glycaemia in urban Nepal, Diabet. Med. 20 (2003) 170–171] in the first population-based study based on the revised diagnostic criteria of ADA-1997 and WHO-1998. In comparison with our community-based survey done in 1990 in suburban and rural areas of Nepal, the current data show a surprisingly rapid increase in the prevalence of diabetes in the Nepalese population. In our 1990 study, diabetes and IFG, respectively, were present in 1.4 and 2.5% of people ≥20 years old in suburban village (Bhadrakali) compared with 0.3 and 0.7% in a rural village (Kotyang). In a short communication, Singh and Bhattarai found the rates to be 14.6 and 9.1% in urban areas, and 2.5 and 1.3% in rural areas. This phenomena appears to have been influenced more by rapid urbanization and changes in lifestyles after the ongoing democratic movements that have taken place since 1990 in Nepal. Moreover, our new analysis of the data provide baseline features for the planning of health care policy and establishment of medical priorities in modern day Nepal.