Prevalence of Diabetes Hypertension, Obesity, Dyslipidemia and Metabolic Syndrome in Urban South Indian Population

Abstract

Prevalence of type 2 diabetes is rising globally18, 19 and the impact is most marked in developing countries like India19 as Asian Indians have an increased predisposition to develop diabetes20. Many studies have reported that Asian Indians have an unusually high prevalence of diabetes mellitus21, 22. The risk variables associated with diabetes are similar in all countries, but their expression and intensity vary widely between races and between countries. Though earlier studies have documented a rising prevalence of diabetes in India, they have compared data from different regions of India or different parts within a state. To compare secular trends, it would be more accurate to document the prevalence of diabetes within the same region. Hence the data obtained in the present study were compared with three earlier epidemiological studies using similar methods carried out in the same city (Chennai).