The prevalence of diabetes in the Kingdom of Tonga

Abstract

OBJECTIVE - To determine the prevalence of diabetes, impaired glucose metabolism, and related risk factors in Tonga. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - A randomly selected representative national sample of 1,024 people aged > 15 years was surveyed. Each participant had fasting blood glucose and HbA 1c measured. Subjects with a fasting blood glucose >5.0 mmol/l (90 mg/dl) and <11.1 mmol/l (200 mg/dl) or a fasting blood glucose ≥5.0 mmol/l and an HbA1c >6.0% and every fifth subject with a fasting blood glucose ≥5.0 mmol/l and a normal HbA1c had a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). A total of 472 individuals had an OGTT based on these criteria. Subjects with a fasting blood glucose ≥11.1 mmol/l and an elevated HbA1c were diagnosed as having diabetes. RESULTS - The mean age was 41.3 years, and the mean BMI was 32.3 kg/m2. The age-standardized prevalence of diabetes was 15.1% (CI 12.5-17.6), 12.2% (8.7-15.8) in men and 17.6% (14.0-21.1) in women (NS), of which only 2.1% was previously diagnosed. A total of 75% of people with newly diagnosed diabetes had a fasting plasma glucose ≥7.0 mmol/l (126 mg/dl). The prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance was 9.4% (7.3-11.5) and of impaired fasting glycemia 1.6% (0.7-2.6). Undiagnosed diabetes was significantly associated with increasing age, obesity, hypertension, and a family history of diabetes. CONCLUSIONS - The current prevalence of diabetes in Tonga is 15.1%, of which 80% is undiagnosed. A similar survey in 1973 reported a 7.5% diabetes prevalence, indicating a doubling of diabetes over the past 25 years. In addition, lesser degrees of glucose intolerance are common, and much of the community is overweight.