Prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and related vascular diseases in southwestern arseniasis-endemic and nonendemic areas in Taiwan
Journal
Environmental Health Perspectives
Journal Volume
111
Journal Issue
2
Pages
155-159
Date Issued
2003
Author(s)
Abstract
There is evidence indicating the ingestion of arsenic may predispose the development of diabetes mellitus in arsenic-endemic areas in Taiwan. However, the prevalence of diabetes and related vascular diseases in the entire southwestern arseniasis-endemic and nonendemic areas remains to be elucidated. We used the National Health Insurance Database for 1999-2000 to derive the prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes and related vascular diseases by age and sex among residents in southwestern arseniasis-endemic and nonedemic areas in Taiwan. The study included 66,667 residents living in endemic areas and 639,667 in nonedemic areas, all ? 25 years of age. The status of diabetes and vascular diseases was ascertained through disease diagnosis and treatment prescription included in the reimbursement claims of clinics and hospitals. The prevalence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes, age- and and gender-adjusted to the general population in Taiwan, was 7.5% (95% confidence interval, 7.4-7.7%) in the arsenisis-endemic areas and 3.5% (3.5-3.6%) in the nonendemic areas. Among both diabetics and nondiabetes, higher prevalence of microvascular and macrovascular diseases was observed in arseniasis-endemic than in the nonedemic areas. Age- and gender-adjusted prevalence of microvascular disease in endemic and nonedemic areas was 20.0% and 6.0%, respectively, for diabetic, and 8.6% and 1.0%, respectively. for diabetics, and 12.3% and 5.5% for nondiabetics. Arsenic has been suggested to increase the risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and its related micro- and macrovascular diseases.
Subjects
Arsenic; Diabetic complications; Environmental health; Epidemiology; Health insurance; Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; Vascular diseases
SDGs
Other Subjects
arsenic; adult; aged; article; confidence interval; controlled study; disease predisposition; endemic disease; female; geographic distribution; high risk population; human; major clinical study; male; non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus; population research; prevalence; priority journal; reimbursement; risk assessment; risk factor; statistical analysis; Taiwan; vascular disease
Publisher
Public Health Services, US Dept of Health and Human Services
Type
journal article