Diabetes Fact Sheet in Korea 2021.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a rapidly growing global public health challenge affecting both developed and developing countries. Its prevalence is strongly influenced by demographic, epidemiological, nutritional, and environmental determinants. South Asian countries, including Pakistan, are experiencing a disproportionate rise in diabetes burden due to urbanization, sedentary lifestyles, and dietary transitions. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and examine its association with selected modifiable and non-modifiable determinants among the adult population of District Swat and District Peshawar. Methodology: After obtaining ethical approval, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from February to June 2024 among adults aged 18 years and above residing in Swat and Peshawar districts. A sample size of 309 participants was calculated using standard prevalence-based assumptions. Data were collected using a structured and pre-tested proforma covering sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, dietary patterns, and clinical history. Diabetes mellitus was defined based on prior diagnosis, use of anti-diabetic medication, and/or HbA1c level >6.6. Results: Out of 309 participants, 19.74% were found to have diabetes mellitus. Among diabetic individuals, 44.26% were aged above 60 years, 60.66% were males, and 68.85% belonged to urban or semi-urban areas. Overweight or obesity was present in 39.34%, while 40.98% were unemployed. Significant associations were observed between diabetes mellitus and tobacco smoking (57.38%, p<0.001), positive family history (31.15%, p=0.0248), sedentary lifestyle (67.21%, p=0.0003), lack of physical exercise (80.33%, p=0.011), and meat consumption (p<0.001). Advanced age, marital status, low income, and overweight/obesity also showed significant associations. Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the study population was lower than national estimates but showed strong associations with both modifiable and non-modifiable determinants. Keywords: Diabetes Mellitus, Lifestyle, Prevalence, Physical Activity, Risk Factors, Tobacco Smoking.

To examine trends in prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and risk management among US adults with diabetes between 2001 and 2020. This serial cross-sectional study included 4200 adults with diabetes (representing approximately 29.0 million persons) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001 to 2020). Age-adjusted prevalence of CKD G3a among adults with diabetes decreased from 6.6% to 3.0% by 2005-2008, then plateaued. CKD G4-G5 increased from 0.5% to 1.7% by 2009-2012, then decreased to 0.7% by 2017-2020. The prevalence of any CKD decreased from 34.1% to 25.3% by 2009-2012, then increased to 30.6% by 2017-2020. Correspondingly, albuminuria decreased from 28.4% to 21.2% by 2009-2012, then increased to 27.4% by 2017-2020. Among adults with concomitant CKD, proportion of adults achieving blood pressure (BP) < 140/90mmHg increased from 64.6% to 75.1% by 2005-2008, then decreased to 59.5% by 2017-2020. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol < 100mg/dL, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol < 130mg/dL, antidiabetic medication use and antihyperlipidemic medication use increased from 30.4%, 22.8%, 58.6%, and 33.8% to 46.4%, 45.6%, 74.2%, and 38.8%, respectively. Recommended antidiabetic medication use decreased from 37.6% to 24.2% by 2009-2012, then increased to 59.2% by 2017-2020. After a decade of decline, the prevalence of any CKD and albuminuria increased among US adults with diabetes, while CKD G3a plateaued. CKD G4-G5 peaked during 2005-2012 and decreased thereafter. Lipid control and use of antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic medications among adults with concomitant CKD increased in the past 2 decades, whereas BP control decreased. This study provided updated trends in the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in diabetes and in risk factor control and medication use in diabetes and CKD by using a nationally representative sample of the whole US noninstitutionalized population. Among US adults with diabetes, the prevalence of CKD decreased in earlier years but increased in recent years, while improvements in medication use for diabetes and lipids were observed, though blood pressure control declined.

Atypical antipsychotic use among children and adolescents is a cause for concern secondary to metabolic adverse effects. There have been reports of weight gain, metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, glucose abnormalities, and decreased insulin sensitivity in children aged 4 to 19 years using atypical antipsychotics. To determine the prevalence of antidiabetic and antilipidemic medication use among children and adolescents receiving atypical antipsychotics and to evaluate whether the odds of receiving antidiabetic and antilipidemic medication differs among atypical antipsychotic agents. This retrospective cross-sectional study included Virginia Medicaid beneficiaries (2-17 years) continuously enrolled from August 1, 2010, to July 31, 2011. The participants were categorized into atypical antipsychotic exposed and unexposed. The prevalence of antidiabetic and antilipidemic medication use within the groups was computed. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds of receiving antidiabetic or antilipidemic medication after controlling for age, sex, and race. A total of 299593 and 4922 beneficiaries were identified in unexposed and exposed groups, respectively. The prevalence of antidiabetic medication use was 0.32% in the unexposed and 1.40% in the exposed group (P < 0.0001). Prevalence of antilipidemic medication use was 0.09% in the unexposed and 0.35% in the exposed group (P < 0.0001). Risperidone and quetiapine users had lower odds than olanzapine users of receiving antidiabetic medication. No differences between the odds of receiving antilipidemic medication among the different antipsychotics (P = 0.1653) were observed. Prevalence of antidiabetic and antilipidemic medication use was significantly higher among children and adolescent atypical antipsychotic users in a Virginia Medicaid population.

Prevalence, trends, and patterns of use of antidiabetic medications among pregnant women, 2001-2007.

ObjectiveHIV-infected (HIV+) individuals may have differential risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) compared to the general population, and the optimal diagnostic algorithm for DM in HIV+ persons remains unclear. We aimed to assess the utility of oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) for DM diagnosis in a cohort of women with or at risk for HIV infection.MethodsUsing American Diabetic Association DM definitions, DM prevalence and incidence were assessed among women enrolled in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study. DM was defined by 2-hour OGTT ≥ 200 mg/dL (DM_OGTT) or a clinical definition (DM_C) that included any of the following: (i) anti-diabetic medication use or self-reported DM confirmed by either fasting glucose (FG) ≥126 mg/dL or HbA1c ≥ 6.5%, (ii) FG ≥ 126 mg/dL confirmed by a second FG ≥ 126 mg/dL or HbA1c 6.5%, or (iii) HbA1c 6.5% confirmed by FG ≥ 126 mg/dL cohort.ResultsOverall, 390 women (285 HIV+, median age 43 years; 105 HIV−, median age 37 years) were enrolled between 2003-2006. Over half of all women were African American. Using DM_C, DM prevalence rates were 5.6% and 2.8% among HIV+ and HIV− women, respectively. Among HIV+ women, adding DM_OGTT to DM_C increased DM prevalence from 5.6% to 7.4%, a 31% increase in the number of diabetes cases diagnosed (p=0.02). In HIV− women, no additional cases were diagnosed by DM-OGTT.ConclusionIn HIV+ women, OGTT identified DM cases that were not identified by a standardized clinical definition. Further investigation is needed to determine whether OGTT should be considered as an adjunctive tool for DM diagnosis in the setting of HIV infection.

Patients who have undergone bariatric surgery generally need fewer medications as they experience improvement in, or even resolution of, various medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Published data on changes in medication use after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, a type of bariatric surgery that is growing in popularity, are limited. To determine whether patients took fewer medications for management of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, relative to preprocedure medications. In this prospective, single-centre cohort study, a nurse practitioner used standard medication reconciliation and study data-extraction forms to interview adult patients who had undergone laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and determine their medication use and pertinent demographic data. The data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations and standard statistical software. Outcome measures included changes in the use of antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and antilipemic medications at 1, 3, and 6 months after the surgery. A total of 65 patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy between May 2011 and January 2014 met the study inclusion criteria. Before surgery, the 30 patients with type 2 diabetes were taking an average of 1.9 antidiabetic medications. One month after the procedure, 15 (50%) had discontinued all antidiabetic medications, with a further decline at 3 and 6 months (p < 0.001 at each time point). Among the patients who were taking antihypertensives (n = 48) and antilipemics (n = 33) before surgery, the decline in use occurred at a more modest rate, with 6 (12%) and 2 (6%), respectively, discontinuing these medication classes within 1 month, and 12 (25%) (p = 0.001) and 8 (24%) (p = 0.015) having discontinued by 6 months. These findings suggest that patients with a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and/or dyslipidemia who undergo laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy are less likely to require disease-specific medications shortly after surgery.

We evaluated the prevalence and management of diabetes mellitus (DM) in elderly Korean patients based on data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). A total of 3,068 adults aged 65 years and older (19.8% of total population) were analyzed using KNHANES from 2019 to 2020. Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates, and comorbidities were analyzed. Lifestyle behaviors and energy intake were also measured. The prevalence of DM and prediabetes was 29.6% and 50.5%, respectively. The awareness, treatment and control rates were 76.4%, 73.3%, and 28.3%, respectively. The control rate was 77.0% if A1C <7.5% criteria was used. The mean A1C value of individuals with known DM was 7.1%, and 14.5% of the known DM patients had A1C ≥8.0%. Abdominal obesity, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia were combined with DM in 63.9%, 71.7%, and 70.7%, respectively, and the rate of integrated management was 36.0% (A1C <7.5% criteria). A total of 40.1% of those with DM walked regularly. The percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates was higher in those with DM than in those without DM (P=0.044), while those of fat (P=0.003) and protein (P=0.025) were lower in those with DM than in those without DM in women. In 2019 to 2020, three of 10 adults aged 65 years and older in Korea had DM, and approximately 70% of them had comorbidities. A strategy for more individualized comprehensive care for the elderly patients with DM is urgently needed.

Background: The association between pre-existing diabetes mellitus (DM) and subsequent increased incidence of breast cancer (BC), as well as worse survival after BC diagnosis, is well described. However, the reverse relationship of BC or metastases to development of new onset DM is unknown. Preclinical evidence suggests that increased bone destruction due to bone metastases or endocrine therapy impairs insulin secretion via TGFβ-mediated oxidation of the ryanodine receptor in pancreatic β- cells, predisposing patients to development of new onset DM. This analysis describes the prevalence and new onset of DM in metastatic BC compared to matched, unaffected controls and non-metastatic BC. Methods: This retrospective study collected data on women from the Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC, a multi-health system electronic health record data warehouse), and the Indiana State Department of Health Cancer Registry from 2015 to 2017. Diagnosis of BC and metastases were established using ICD codes from INPC and confirmed in the cancer registry. DM was defined using a combination of ICD codes, diabetic medication prescriptions, and hemoglobin A1c &amp;gt;6.5%. Controls without BC were matched to all BC cases by birth year and race. The prevalence of DM before, or &amp;lt; 30 days after, BC diagnosis is described for non- cancer controls, all patients with BC, and subgroups without metastases, any metastases, and with bone metastases. In patients without evidence of DM prior to or &amp;lt; 30 days after BC diagnosis, the incidence of new onset DM was compared to matched controls over the same time period. The occurrence of new DM was evaluated both including and excluding the first 6 months after BC diagnosis to account for potential DM diagnosis simply due to medical attention. Prevalence and subsequent incidence of DM was compared between cases and controls using Pearson’s chi-square tests. Variables including demographics, comorbidities, BC treatment, A1c values, and DM treatments were also collected. Results: Any DM diagnosis, pre-existing DM, and new onset DM were higher in breast cancer cases compared to controls (Table). While pre-existing DM was similar between those with metastatic and non-metastatic DM (35.0% vs. 32.2%, p=0.22), new onset DM was higher in metastatic disease compared to non-metastatic BC (14.4% vs. 7.0%, p&amp;lt;0.001). Hemoglobin A1c was higher in those with metastatic disease, particularly those with bone metastases (8.8 vs 7.5, p&amp;lt;0.001). Conclusions: Diabetes is highly prevalent in this Indiana BC cohort. Incidence of new onset DM after BC is higher in those with metastatic BC compared to both controls and BC cases without metastatic disease. Hemoglobin A1c was highest in those with bone metastases, further supporting the hypothesis that bone turnover may influence insulin secretion and glucose metabolism. Additional investigation will analyze the influence of medications (chemo-, endocrine, and bone protective therapy) on development of DM. As more patients live longer with metastatic BC, identification and management of DM will be imperative given its impact on BC survival, treatment delivery, healthcare costs, and quality of life. ControlsBreast cancer (BC) casesAllNon-metAll metBone metNon-bone metTotal n10212102129760452236216Any DM, n (%)2464 (24.1)4406 (43.1)3823 (39.2)223 (49.3)111 (47.0)112 (51.9)p-value2&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001Pre-existing DM1, n (%)2111 (20.1)3301 (32.2)3143 (32.2)158 (35.0)81 (34.3)77 (35.6)p-value2&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001New DM after BC1, n (%)353 (3.5)745 (7.3)680 (7.0)65 (14.4)30 (12.7)35 (16.2)p-value2&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001New DM &amp;gt; 6 months after BC1, n (%)336 (3.3)621 (6.1)565 (5.8)56 (12.4)27 (11.4)29 (13.4)p-value2&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001&amp;lt;0.001HgbA1c in those with DM, Mean (SD)7.6 (1.6)7.6 (1.6)7.5 (1.6)8.3 (2.1)7.5 (1.6)8.8 (2.3)p-value21.00.001&amp;lt;0.0010.40&amp;lt;0.0011- For controls, values in relation to index date. 2 - p-values versus controls. Citation Format: Tarah Ballinger, Sarah El-Azab, Ziyue Liu, Theresa Guise, Erik Imel. High prevalence and incidence of new onset diabetes in metastatic breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-08-11.

The role of metformin in prostate cancer chemoprevention remains unclear. REDUCE, which followed biopsy-negative men with protocol-dictated PSA-independent biopsies at 2- and 4-years, provides an opportunity to evaluate the link between metformin use and prostate cancer diagnosis with minimal confounding from screening biases. In diabetic men from REDUCE, we tested the association between metformin use, use of other antidiabetic medications, versus no antidiabetic medication use, and prostate cancer diagnosis as well as prostate cancer grade (low-grade Gleason 4-6 and high-grade Gleason 7-10) using logistic regression. Of the 540 diabetic men with complete data, 205 (38%) did not report use of any antidiabetic medications, 141 (26%) reported use of at least one antidiabetic medication other than metformin, and 194 (36%) reported use of metformin. During the 4-year study, 122 men (23%) were diagnosed with prostate cancer. After adjusting for various clinical and demographic characteristics, we found that metformin use was not significantly associated with total (OR, 1.19; P = 0.50), low- (OR, 1.01; P = 0.96), or high-grade (OR, 1.83; P = 0.19) prostate cancer diagnosis. Likewise, there was no significant association between the use of non-metformin antidiabetic medications and prostate cancer risk in both crude (OR, 1.02; P = 0.95) and multivariable analysis (OR, 0.85; P = 0.56). Furthermore, the interactions between antidiabetic medication use and BMI, geographic location, coronary artery disease, smoking, and treatment group were not significant (all P > 0.05). Among diabetic men with a negative prestudy biopsy who all underwent biopsies largely independent of PSA, metformin use was not associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer diagnosis.

MP04-01 METFORMIN USE AND RISK OF PROSTATE CANCER: RESULTS FROM THE REDUCE STUDY

This study was conducted in Riyadh to determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance. Blood samples (3981) were collected from Saudi male and female adults (2402) and children (1579) during a household screening program conducted over a period of two years from September 1991 to September 1993. Fasting blood samples were collected and each individual was given an oral glucose load. Two-hour postprandial blood glucose was estimated and the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria were used to diagnose diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance. The diabetic patients were further grouped into noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) depending on the age of onset and mode of treatment. The overall prevalence of diabetes mellitus (IDDM and NIDDM) was 4.76% in males and 4.10% in the females in the two-to 70-year age group. Ten individuals of the 3981 were suffering from IDDM, giving an incidence of two to three per 1000. When the children <14 years were removed, the prevalence increased to 8.235% and 6.476% in the males and females respectively, while in the >30 year old group, the prevalence increased to 16.0% and 12.34% in the males and females. Further significant increase in NIDDM and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was observed with age (P<0.05). NIDDM was more frequent in males while IGT was more frequent in females. This paper presents the results of screening in Riyadh and stresses the need for diabetes mellitus awareness programs in the Saudi population.

Introduction: The HCHS/SOL demonstrated that diabetes mellitus (DM) was associated with elevated risk for CVD in a diverse Hispanic/Latino (H/L) cohort. However, the nature of these relationships as a function of H/L background, sex and other relevant variables is still unknown. Objective: We examined across approximately 6 years, the prevalence and incidence of DM and CVD and the CVD-DM relationship in diverse H/L. Methods: Participants at Visit 1:V1 (2008-2011) were 16,386 individuals with DM relevant data, whereas participants at Visit 2:V2 (2014-2016) were 8,401 individuals with similar data who attended the ongoing examination, constituting approximately 60% of the cohort to be studied. Descriptive characteristics were age-standardized to the 2010 U.S. population, and stratified by sex and H/L background. Prevalence estimates were weighted to the known population distribution, adjusting for sampling probability and nonresponse, and trimmed to handle extreme values of weights. Age-adjusted incidence rates /100 person years were estimated across Visit 1, based upon Poisson regression with robust variance taking into account the complex survey design. Both prevalence and incidence values are presented as % (95% CI). Prevalence and incidence of DM were examined by sex, age, H/L background, field center and BMI. We also examined the prevalence and incidence of CVD in those with and without DM by sex, H/L background, age and BMI. Results: Overall prevalence of DM was 17.8 (17.0, 18.6) at V1 and 19.4 (18.3, 20.5) at V2. The prevalence of DM at V2 was lowest, 11.2 (8.2, 15.3) for those of South American and highest for those of Puerto Rican, 22.5 (19.5, 25.8) background. While the prevalence of DM did not differ between women and men, the overall incidence rate for DM was significantly higher for men, 1.53 (1.32, 1.76) than for women, 1.06 (0.94, 1.18). The overall prevalence of CVD was significantly higher for DM than for non-DM individuals at V2: 9.2 (7.9, 10.7) vs. 4.5 (3.9, 5.2). The incidence rate across Visits, 0.71 (0.55, 0.92) vs. 0.20 (0.15, 0.27) was also higher for DM individuals. At V2 the CVD prevalence for DM men, 12.0 (9.7, 14.6) was greater than for DM women, 7.2 (5.6, 9.2). The relationship of CVD prevalence to DM status revealed different patterns among H/L background groups. At V2, for example, those of South American background showed relatively low CVD prevalence: 5.3 (2.6, 10.4) with DM vs. 4.2 (2.3, 7.5) without DM. In contrast, those of Puerto Rican background showed relatively high CVD prevalence: 15.6 (11.0, 21.6) with DM vs. 5.7 (4.1, 8.0) without DM. Conclusions: Overall prevalence and incidence of CVD was significantly higher for DM than for non-DM individuals and these CVD-DM relationships varied markedly across H/L background groups.

Background This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, management, and comorbidities of diabetes mellitus among Korean adults.Methods Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2019–2022) were analyzed to assess the prevalence, treatment, risk factors, and comorbidities of diabetes. Comparisons between young and older adults with diabetes were emphasized.Results Among Korean adults aged ≥30 years, the prevalence of diabetes is 15.5% during 2021–2022. Of these, 74.7% were aware of their condition, 70.9% received antidiabetic treatment, and only 32.4% achieved glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) <6.5%. Moreover, 15.9% met the integrated management targets, which included HbA1c <6.5%, blood pressure <140/85 mm Hg, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol <100 mg/dL. In young adults aged 19 to 39 years, the prevalence of diabetes was 2.2%. Among them, 43.3% were aware of their condition, 34.6% received treatment, and 29.6% achieved HbA1c <6.5%. Obesity affected 87.1%, and 26.9% had both hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. Among adults aged ≥65 years, the prevalence of diabetes was 29.3%, with awareness, treatment, and control rates of 78.8%, 75.7%, and 31.2%, respectively. Integrated management targets (HbA1c <7.5%, hypertension, and lipids) were achieved by 40.1%.Conclusion Diabetes mellitus remains highly prevalent among Korean adults, with significant gaps in integrated glycemic, blood pressure, and lipid control. Older adults with diabetes show higher awareness and treatment rates but limited integrated management outcomes. Young adults with diabetes bear a significant burden of obesity and comorbidities, alongside low awareness and treatment rates. Therefore, early intervention programs, education, and strategies tailored to younger populations are urgently required.

There is a high burden of both diabetes (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) in China, and this study aimed to assess feasibility and results of screening patients with TB for DM within the routine healthcare setting of six health facilities. Agreement on how to screen, monitor and record was reached in May 2011 at a stakeholders' meeting, and training was carried out for staff in the six facilities in July 2011. Implementation started in September 2011, and we report on 7 months of activities up to 31 March 2012. There were 8886 registered patients with TB. They were first asked whether they had DM. If the answer was no, they were screened with a random blood glucose (RBG) followed by fasting blood glucose (FBG) in those with RBG ≥ 6.1 mm (one facility) or with an initial FBG (five facilities). Those with FBG ≥ 7.0 mm were referred to DM clinics for diagnostic confirmation with a second FBG. Altogether, 1090 (12.4%) patients with DM were identified, of whom 863 (9.7%) had a known diagnosis of DM. Of 8023 patients who needed screening for DM, 7947 (99%) were screened. This resulted in a new diagnosis of DM in 227 patients (2.9% of screened patients), and of these, 226 were enrolled to DM care. In addition, 575 (7.8%) persons had impaired fasting glucose (FBG 6.1 to <7.0 mm). Prevalence of DM was significantly higher in patients in health facilities serving urban populations (14.0%) than rural populations (10.6%) and higher in hospital patients (13.5%) than those attending TB clinics (8.5%). This pilot project shows that it is feasible to screen patients with TB for DM in the routine setting, resulting in a high yield of patients with known and newly diagnosed disease. Free blood tests for glucose measurement and integration of TB and DM services may improve the diagnosis and management of dually affected patients.

This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in different areas of Saudi Arabia. A household survey was conducted in 34 different areas of Saudi Arabia. Demographic data and medical history were taken and filled. Fasting and two-hour "post-glucose load" blood samples were collected from 23,493 Saudi males and females and blood glucose was estimated immediately. The diagnoses of DM and IGT were made based on the criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO). Diabetic patients were subgrouped as IDDM and NIDDM on the basis of age of onset and mode of treatment. In the overall group (two to 70 years), the prevalence of IDDM, NIDDM and IGT was 0.193%, 5.503% and 0.498% in the Saudi males and 0.237%, 4.556% and 0.900% in the Saudi females. When grouped on the basis of age, there were 8762 children (<14 years). Of these children, 15 (0.171%) had IDDM and 13 (0.148%) had maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY). The prevalence of IGT in this group was 0.250%. In the 14-70-year age group, the prevalence of IDDM, NIDDM and IGT was 0.239%, 9.50% and 0.717% in the males and 0.248%, 6.820% and 1.347% in the females, respectively. A significant increase (P<0.001) was obvious in the age group >30 years, where the prevalence of NIDDM and IGT rose to 17.32% and 1.30% in the males and 12.18% and 2.2% in the females, respectively. IDDM showed a slight decrease in those over the age of 60 years. These results place Saudi Arabia among the countries that have a high prevalence for DM and a moderate risk for IGT. In light of these findings, it is clear that carefully planned programs are needed to achieve control and prevention of diabetes mellitus in Saudi Arabia.