Prevalence of Known Diabetes and Antidiabetic Therapy Between 1984/1985 and 1999/2001 in Southern Germany
- Christa Meisinger, MD, MPH12,
- Margit Heier, MD2,
- Angela Doering, MD2,
- Barbara Thorand, PHD, MPH2,
- Hannelore Loewel, MD2 and
- for the KORA Group
- 1Central Hospital of Augsburg, MONICA/KORA Myocardial Infarction Register, Augsburg, Germany
- 2GSF National Research Center for Environment and Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Neuherberg, Germany
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Christa Meisinger, MD, MPH, Central Hospital of Augsburg, MONICA/KORA Myocardial Infarction Register Stenglinstr., 2 D-86156 Augsburg, Germany. E-mail: christa.meisinger{at}gsf.de
- KORA, Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg
- MONICA, Monitoring Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease Augsburg
Between 1995 and 2025 the prevalence of diabetes is projected to rise from 135 million to 300 million affected worldwide, with the most dramatic increase occurring in developing countries; most of these cases will be type 2 diabetes (1). The highest prevalences are seen in populations with heightened genetic susceptibility, high caloric intake, reduced physical activity, and a subsequent progressive rise in overweight and obesity (2). The aim of the present study is to show the prevalence of known diabetes as well as the antidiabetic treatment over the period 1984/1985 to 1999/2001 using the data of four surveys of independent representative samples of a 25- to 74-year-old population of Southern Germany.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Three independent cross-sectional surveys were carried out in 1984/1985, 1989/1990, and 1994/1995 to estimate the prevalence and distribution of cardiovascular risk factors among men and women in the Monitoring Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease (MONICA) study (3), which was conducted in the Augsburg region. From 1999 to 2001, the Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) Survey 2000 was conducted in the same study region and with the same design as in the previous surveys. The age range was restricted to individuals aged 25–64 years in the first survey and 25–74 years in the other three surveys.
During a standardized interview, participants were asked whether they …
