Diabetes Type 2 for Two: One in five spouses of patients
with diabetes had evidence of glucose intolerance.
The purpose of the study was to determine whether
spouses of patients with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of
diabetes compared with spouses of subjects with normal glucose
tolerance.
A random sample of spouses of patients
with type 2 diabetes (group 1S) attending a general practice diabetes
clinic was compared with spouses of nondiabetic subjects (as
determined by oral glucose tolerance test [OGTT]) (group 2S). Spouses
in both groups underwent OGTT, fasting lipid profile, and blood
pressure (BP) measurements.
A total of 245 subjects in group 1S and 234
subjects in group 2S underwent OGTT. Group 1S had a significantly
higher incidence of fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, or
type 2 diabetes (19.1 vs. 9.4%). Group 1S also had higher fasting
glucose and triglyceride levels, higher BMI, and a trend toward
higher BP. Multivariate logistic regression analysis, adjusted for
BMI and age, showed the risk of diabetes in the spouse of a patient
with diabetes was 2.11 (95% CI 1.74–5.1), as compared with the spouse
of a subject with normal glucose tolerance. Similarly, the risk of
any degree of glucose intolerance in a spouse of a patient with type
2 diabetes was 2.32 (1.87–3.98), as compared with a spouse of a
subject with normal glucose tolerance.
The results show that spouses of patients with
type 2 diabetes had a significantly increased risk of developing
diabetes. As the spouses were genetically different (though
ethnically similar), our results show that shared environmental
factors or exposures during married life may contribute to the risk
of developing type 2 diabetes. Our study also showed a trend toward
higher blood pressure in spouses of diabetic patients, in addition
to significantly higher levels of serum triglycerides and BMI
in these spouses. Overall, almost one in five spouses of patients
with diabetes had evidence of glucose intolerance.
The findings of the present study have important implications for the screening of patients for diabetes. In summary, we have shown that spouses of patients with type 2 diabetes have a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes compared with spouses of subjects with no diabetes; therefore, these individuals should be classified as being at high risk for diabetes.
Source: Diabetes In Control Dot Com: Diabetes Care 26:710-712, 2003.
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