Prevalence and Risk Factors of Diabetes, Pre-Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome in First-Degree Relatives of Patients with Type II Diabetes

Background & Aims: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors for diabetes, pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome in first-degree relatives(FDRs) of patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: In a cross-sectional study between 2003 and 2005, 3228 of first-degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes (841 men and 2387 women) from Isfahan Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center outpatient clinics, Iran, were examined. All subjects underwent a standard 75 g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and type 2 diabetes were diagnosed according to the criteria of the American Diabetes Association and metabolic syndrome, according to the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program adult treatment panel (NCEPATP III). Results: The Prevalence of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, IGT and IFG were 35.8, 10.3, 19.5, and 17.3 percent, respectively. IGT (OR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.51-0.87) and metabolic syndrome (OR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.61-0.85) were more common among women, whereas IFG (OR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.10-1.80) was higher in men. Multivariate analysis revealed that age and obesity or abdominal obesity were significantly associated with diabetes, IGT and IFG. IGT, IFG and lower HDL were associated with metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: First-degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk of IGT, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. This risk increases with age and obesity. These findings may provide evidence for necessity of screening program in identifying a special subset of the population at particular risk of developing type 2 diabetes.