Epidemiological studies of diabetes mellitus in Denmark. II. A prevalence study based on insulin prescriptions.

The study aimed at tracing the population of insulin-treated diabetics living in the Funen County, Denmark (approximately 450000 inhabitants) on 1 July 1973. It was based on a recording of insulin prescriptions among all prescriptions handled by the pharmacies in Funen County during a five-month period. Through information from medical records and public registries the verification of the diagnosis and the identity of the insulin prescription holders were checked, and it is estimated that the completeness of the study material was above 98%. Age- and sex-specific prevalence rates of insulin-treated diabetes mellitus were calculated. The overall prevalence rate for males was 3.6 per 1,000 and that for females 3.3 per 1,000.

Epidemiological studies of diabetes mellitus in Denmark. I. A case finding method based on the National Service Conscript Registry.

To provide unbiased material for epidemiological studies of diabetes mellitus a case finding method based on the Danish National Service Conscript Registry and death certificates is presented and discussed. Eight Danish total male birth cohorts, totalling 320 162 persons, have been observed as to the occurrence of diabetes mellitus during the first twenty years of life, and it is concluded that the conscript registry represents an ideal basis for case identification, if the individual cases are further elucidated. The material is estimated to be about 95% complete. The main source of error originates from omissions when the registries are scrutinized. The cumulative incidence rates for the birth cohorts range from 1.3 to 3.2 per thousand; in the total material 2.4 per thousand.