Prediction of Type 2 diabetes in healthy middle-aged men with special emphasis on glucose homeostasis. Results from 22.5 years' follow-up

Abstract

Aims: To study the glucose disappearance rate and fasting blood glucose as predictors of Type 2 diabetes in a 22.5-year prospective follow-up of 1947 healthy non-diabetic men.

Subjects and methods: Of a cohort of 2014 Caucasian men, the 1947 who had both fasting blood glucose < 110 mg/dl and an intravenous glucose tolerance test were included. A number of other physiological parameters were also determined at baseline. Multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to investigate the possible significance of the glucose disappearance rate and fasting blood glucose as predictors of Type 2 diabetes.

Results: After 22.5 years' follow-up, 143 cases of Type 2 diabetes had developed. Glucose disappearance rate and fasting blood glucose were moderately correlated (r = -0.32). Men in the lowest quartile of glucose disappearance rate and highest quartile of fasting blood glucose had markedly higher diabetes rates than all other men (P < 0.0001). After adjusting for each other, age, diabetes heredity, body mass index, physical fitness, triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure (Cox model), both glucose disappearance rate and fasting blood glucose remained major predictors of diabetes

Conclusions: Glucose disappearance rate and fasting blood glucose are, in spite of low intercorrelation, major long-term predictors of Type 2 diabetes in healthy non-diabetic Caucasian men.