The metabolic syndrome in an Arab population: a first look at the new International Diabetes Federation criteria.

AIMS: To report the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Arab men and women using the new International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria, and to compare this with the prevalence using the 1999 World Health Organization (WHO) and 2001 National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NECP ATPIII) definitions. METHODS: The study involved 863 subjects (343 men and 520 women) aged > or = 40 years living in Tunis, Tunisia, taken from an initially randomized, population sample. RESULTS: The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome using the IDF criteria was found to be 45.5%; 55.8% in women and 30.0% in men (P < 0.001), higher than the rates of 28.7% (WHO) and 24.3% (NECP ATPIII) using the previous definitions. Using all the definitions, the prevalence was higher in women than in men predominantly because of significant differences in central obesity and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and, to a lesser extent, hypertension. CONCLUSION: The increased prevalence using the IDF criteria compared with the 1999 WHO criteria and the 2001 NCEP ATPIII definitions is striking and has huge implications for public health worldwide. The major reason for the higher rate using the new definition seems to be the predominant focus placed on central obesity. Using tighter criteria for fasting glycaemia has also played a factor. The question remains as yet unanswered as to whether the new IDF criteria are better at predicting hard outcomes such as diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases.

Predictive risk factors for deterioration from normoglycemic state to type 2 diabetes mellitus or impaired glucose tolerance in a Tunisian urban population.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictive risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in a normoglycemic population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This is a ten-year prospective study in a randomly selected urban population including 1835 subjects aged >=30 years living in Tunis, 1460 were normoglycemic according to 2 hours blood glucose WHO criteria, and 701 among them attended the follow-up assessment ten years later. Subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) were excluded. Subjects underwent a physical examination including weight/height, iliac circumference (IC) and blood pressure measurements. Fasting and 2-hour venous blood sampling, after a 75 g oral glucose load, were performed for the measurement of plasma glucose (G(0), G(2h)), insulin (I(0), I(2h)), total cholesterol (TC) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) levels. RESULTS: Out of the 701 normoglycemic subjects in 1985, 77 developed diabetes and 130 impaired glucose tolerance after 10 years, giving a mean annual incidence rate of 1.1% for diabetes and 1.85% for IGT. Univariate analysis showed that risk factors for diabetes were age, BMI, IC, SBP, G(0) and total cholesterol in both sexes, I(0) and I(2h) in men only and DBP G(2h) and HbA(1c) in women only. Risk factors for IGT were BMI, IC and G(2h) in both sexes, I(2h) in men only and G(0) in women only. Multivariate analysis revealed that BMI, G(0) and G(2h) were independent risk factors for conversion to diabetes or IGT in both sexes, but HbA(1c) and IC were risk factors only in men. CONCLUSION: Early screening and prevention of diabetes must focus on obese subjects, especially those with central fat distribution, and those with moderate increase in fasting and/or two-hour blood glucose levels within the normal range.

[Study of the effect of converting enzyme inhibitors on microalbuminuria in diabetics]. / Etude de l'effet des inhibiteurs de l'enzyme de conversion (IEC) sur la microalbuminurie chez les diabetiques.

The authors report the results of a randomised trial using a converting enzyme inhibitor in 40 microalbuminuric diabetic subjects during 18 months. In the treated group, we observed a reduction of albuminuria from 57.4 mg/24 hours to 35.4 mg/24 hours at the end of the follow up, in contrast with a non significant progression in the group who didn't receive this medication. No significant modification in the clinical and biological parameters was observed during the follow up.

Insulin therapy may increase blood pressure levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of insulin therapy on blood pressure levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2 DM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of clinical records of 313 T2DM patients (125 men and 188 women), excluding those with proteinuria or hypertensive diseases and those taking drugs that may influence blood pressure levels except antihypertensive therapy. Mean age was 56.3 +/- 11.7 years and mean duration of diabetes was 7.1 +/- 5.5 years. After one week of observation under diet and maximal doses of oral antidiabetic drugs, patients who did not improve their glucose control were changed towards insulin therapy (n=129) and formed the insulin treated group (ITG), those who improved their glucose levels were maintained under oral therapy (n=184) and formed the orally treated group (OTG). Blood pressure levels were compared between the two groups at baseline and after a mean follow-up period of 12.1 +/- 6.1 months. Hypertension was considered if patients were known and treated or if SBP >=140 mmHg and/or DBP >=90 mmHg. RESULTS: At baseline, patients in ITG were moderately older (58.4 +/- 11 vs 54.9 +/- 12.1 years, p<0.05), had a longer duration of diabetes (9.2 +/- 6.2 vs 5.7 +/- 5 years, p<0.01), a lower BMI (24.6 +/- 4.6 vs 28.8 +/- 6.6 kg/m(2), p<0.01) and a higher frequency of retinopathy (44% vs 31.1%, p<0.05). There was no significant difference regarding sex ratio, WHR, family history of hypertension, plasma levels of creatinine and lipid parameters. SBP, DBP and frequency of hypertension were similar in both groups at baseline. After follow up, insulin treated group exhibited higher levels of SBP (150 +/- 25.7 vs 138.6 +/- 27.1 mmHg, p<0.001) and DBP (84.1 +/- 13 vs 75.8 +/- 14.9 mmHg, p<0.001) than orally treated group. Progression rate of hypertension frequency was mildly but not significantly higher in ITG than in OTG (+21% vs +12%, p=0.08) and was associated with weight gain in ITG only. SBP increase was mildly correlated with weight gain (p=0.06). In ITG, higher values of BMI (> 27 kg/m(2)) at baseline were associated with the highest increases of blood pressure levels under insulin therapy. No significant relationship was found with insulin doses. CONCLUSION: Insulin therapy may contribute to the development of hypertension in T2DM obese patients. Additional prospective randomised studies are required for a better appreciation of such influence.

Strong bones in later life: luxury or necessity? The view from Tunisia: need for an inclusive approach.

PIP: Demographic, epidemiological, and socioeconomic factors are the primary reasons behind the varied priorities of many developing countries in detecting and preventing osteoporosis. The problem of detecting and preventing the disease does not assume the same urgency, because of the prevailing epidemiological situation in Tunisia and other developing countries. However, there are no precise data on the incidence of osteoporosis and its progression; thus, the means of detection are considered inadequate. Some of the socioeconomic factors in the control of the disease include the following: high rate of illiteracy; excessive focus of the health system on curative care and insufficient attention to early detection and prevention of the disease; and inadequate and inefficient health insurance systems. The increase in life expectancy and the aging of the population make it necessary for health officials to focus their attention on osteoporosis. Attention must be drawn to the importance of nutrition at the very beginning of life, during gestation, wherein deficiencies at this period lead to numerous diseases in adult life. Ensuring that people have strong bones throughout their life spans is a need that can be addressed through the development of an integrated strategy suited to the epidemiological situation of each country.^ieng

A five-year study of the incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in young Tunisians (preliminary results).

Three Tunisian districts were selected to estimate the incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM): Beja, Monastir and Gafsa. A population-based registry for new cases of IDDM was established in 1990 in these three areas according to WHO DIAMOND project methodology. A local extension of the protocol consisted in the inclusion of children up to 19 years of age. Children with a diagnosis of IDDM discharged from general hospitals and private clinics in these areas were recorded in the corresponding registry. A secondary source of case ascertainment was provided by regional school health centers. The findings of the five-year study showed that 156 cases of IDDM were recorded among children aged 0 to 19 years in the three regions. The degree of ascertainment was estimated at 96%. The global age-adjusted incidence rates were 6.76.100,000(-1) year-1 and 6.95.100,000(-1).year-1 in the 0 to 14- and 0 to 19-year age-groups respectively. Age-adjusted incidence rates were lower in Monastir than in Beja and Gafsa, respectively 4.69, 8.13 and 8.33.100,000(-1).year-1 for subjects aged 0 to 19 years. Incidence rates showed no significant difference by gender but were lower in the 0 to 4- and higher in the 10 to 14-year age groups. No time trend was detected. Sixty-two percent of all cases were diagnosed in the cold season. The incidence rate of IDDM in Tunisia is thus close to that observed in most Mediterranean countries.

Diabetes mellitus in Tunisia: description in urban and rural populations.

A prevalence survey of diabetes mellitus was carried out in Tunisia on two random samples of households. The first sample (3826 adult subjects) was drawn from the Gouvernorat of Tunis, the second one (1787 adult subjects), was drawn from a rural area, the Gouvernorat of Siliana. The families were investigated at home and diabetes assessed on the basis of an interview (to determine known cases) and of fasting blood glucose level in subjects having no personal history of diabetes (new cases). Prevalence rates were estimated considering known cases and newly found ones together. Overall, the age-standardized prevalence rate was found to be much higher in the urban sample compared to the rural one, especially for women (4.6% versus 2.3% in men, 3.5% versus 0.6% in women). Diabetes was often associated with obesity, especially in men. Within the urban sample, the prevalence rate was similar in subjects born in Tunis and in those born in the rest of the country, thus mainly of rural extraction. In contrast, a family history of diabetes was more often reported in the former group. The results are consistent with other epidemiological findings, showing that a dramatic increase in diabetes morbidity parallels the rapid westernization of urban centres in developing countries.

[Cross-sectional study of growth between 3 and 20 years of age in the population of Tunisia]. / Etude transversale de la croissance entre 3 et 20 ans dans la population de Tunis.

In the course of a study designed to estimate the prevalence of diabetes in the Gouvernorat of Tunis, 1449 households chosen at random were examined at home between October 1976 and June 1977. The following parameters : weight, height, tricipital and subscapular skinfold thickness were determined for each subject 3 years old or more. From the data observed on 1 889 males and 1 940 females aged from 3 to 20 years, estimates by age and sex are proposed as references for growth among the tunisian population in urban area. Then an approach of the secular trend is derived from the distributions of height according to the year of birth in the adult population.