Prevalence of diabetes recorded in mainland China using 2018 diagnostic criteria from the American Diabetes Association: national cross sectional study

• Published in: BMJ (Online) Vol. 369; p. m997
• Main Authors: Li, Yongze, Teng, Di, Shi, Xiaoguang, Qin, Guijun, Qin, Yingfen, Quan, Huibiao, Shi, Bingyin, Sun, Hui, Ba, Jianming, Chen, Bing, Du, Jianling, He, Lanjie, Lai, Xiaoyang, Li, Yanbo, Chi, Haiyi, Liao, Eryuan, Liu, Chao, Liu, Libin, Tang, Xulei, Tong, Nanwei, Wang, Guixia, Zhang, Jin-an, Wang, Youmin, Xue, Yuanming, Yan, Li, Yang, Jing, Yang, Lihui, Yao, Yongli, Ye, Zhen, Zhang, Qiao, Zhang, Lihui, Zhu, Jun, Zhu, Mei, Ning, Guang, Mu, Yiming, Zhao, Jiajun, Teng, Weiping, Shan, Zhongyan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group LTD 28.04.2020; BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; Aged; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Blood pressure; Body mass index; China - epidemiology; Cigarettes; Cities; Community health care; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus - diagnosis; Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus - metabolism; Disease prevention; Fasting; Female; Glucose; Glucose Intolerance - diagnosis; Glucose Intolerance - epidemiology; Glucose Intolerance - metabolism; Glucose Tolerance Test; Glycated Hemoglobin - metabolism; Hemoglobin; Humans; Male; Medical diagnosis; Middle Aged; Minority & ethnic groups; Plasma; Population studies; Prediabetic State - diagnosis; Prediabetic State - epidemiology; Prediabetic State - metabolism; Prevalence; Public health; Risk factors; Smoking; Societies, Medical; World Health Organization; Young Adult; China
• ISSN: 1756-1833; 0959-8138; 1756-1833
• DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m997

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the prevalence of diabetes and its risk factors.DesignPopulation based, cross sectional study.Setting31 provinces in mainland China with nationally representative cross sectional data from 2015 to 2017.Participants75 880 participants aged 18 and older—a nationally representative sample of the mainland Chinese population.Main outcome measuresPrevalence of diabetes among adults living in China, and the prevalence by sex, regions, and ethnic groups, estimated by the 2018 American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria. Demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and history of disease were recorded by participants on a questionnaire. Anthropometric and clinical assessments were made of serum concentrations of fasting plasma glucose (one measurement), two hour plasma glucose, and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c).ResultsThe weighted prevalence of total diabetes (n=9772), self-reported diabetes (n=4464), newly diagnosed diabetes (n=5308), and prediabetes (n=27 230) diagnosed by the ADA criteria were 12.8% (95% confidence interval 12.0% to 13.6%), 6.0% (5.4% to 6.7%), 6.8% (6.1% to 7.4%), and 35.2% (33.5% to 37.0%), respectively, among adults living in China. The weighted prevalence of total diabetes was higher among adults aged 50 and older and among men. The prevalence of total diabetes in 31 provinces ranged from 6.2% in Guizhou to 19.9% in Inner Mongolia. Han ethnicity had the highest prevalence of diabetes (12.8%) and Hui ethnicity had the lowest (6.3%) among five investigated ethnicities. The weighted prevalence of total diabetes (n=8385) using the WHO criteria was 11.2% (95% confidence interval 10.5% to 11.9%).ConclusionThe prevalence of diabetes has increased slightly from 2007 to 2017 among adults living in China. The findings indicate that diabetes is an important public health problem in China.