Akihiko Uehara1, Kayo Kurotani2, Takeshi Kochi3, Keisuke Kuwahara4, Masafumi Eguchi3, Teppei Imai5, Akiko Nishihara5, Kentaro Tomita6, Makoto Yamamoto1, Reiko Kuroda7, Tomohisa Nagata8, Daisuke Omoto9, Taizo Murakami10, Chii Shimizu10, Makiko Shimizu10, Toshiaki Miyamoto11, Satsue Nagahama12, Tohru Nakagawa13, Toru Honda13, Shuichiro Yamamoto13, Hiroko Okazaki14, Naoko Sasaki15, Akiko Nanri4, Ngoc Minh Pham4, Isamu Kabe3, Tetsuya Mizoue4, Naoki Kunugita16, Seitaro Dohi14. 1. YAMAHA CORPORATION, Shizuoka, Japan. 2. Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Center for Clinical Sciences, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: kkurotani@ri.ncgm.go.jp. 3. Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. 4. Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Center for Clinical Sciences, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. 5. Azbil Corporation, Tokyo, Japan. 6. Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc., Tokyo, Japan. 7. The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. 8. University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan. 9. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Aichi, Japan. 10. Mizue Medical Clinic, Keihin Occupational Health Center, Kanagawa, Japan. 11. Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation Kimitsu Works, Chiba, Japan. 12. All Japan Labour Welfare Foundation, Tokyo, Japan. 13. Hitachi, Ltd., Ibaraki, Japan. 14. Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., Tokyo, Japan. 15. Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, Kanagawa, Japan. 16. National Institute of Public Health, Saitama, Japan.
Abstract
AIMS: Few studies have examined the prevalence of diabetes using glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), a newly recommended diagnostic test. We examined the prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes using both HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and their associations with risk factors for type 2 diabetes in a large-scale Japanese working population. METHODS: Participants were 47,172 men and 8280 women aged 20-69 years who received periodic health checkup in nine companies which participated in the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health study. Participants were categorized into diabetes (HbA1c≥6.5% (≥48mmol/mol), FPG≥126mg/dl (≥7.0mmol/L), or medication for diabetes), pre-diabetes (HbA1c 6.0-6.4% (42-46mmol/mol) or FPG 110-125mg/dl (6.1-6.9mmol/L) among those without diabetes), and normal glucose regulation. RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes was 8.0% and 3.3% in men and women, respectively. Of individuals with diabetes, approximately 80% were defined by HbA1c≥6.5% (≥48mmol/mol) criterion. The prevalence of pre-diabetes was 14.1% in men and 9.2% in women. Prevalence of these glucose abnormalities increased with advancing age, especially during mid-40s and 50s. Higher body mass index and waist circumference, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and current smoking were each associated with higher prevalence of diabetes in both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Using HbA1c and FPG criteria or current medication, one in 13 men and one in 30 women had diabetes in the present Japanese working population. Interventions targeted for those in an early stage of impaired glucose metabolism would be required to prevent diabetes.
AIMS: Few studies have examined the prevalence of diabetes using glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), a newly recommended diagnostic test. We examined the prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes using both HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and their associations with risk factors for type 2 diabetes in a large-scale Japanese working population. METHODS:Participants were 47,172 men and 8280 women aged 20-69 years who received periodic health checkup in nine companies which participated in the Japan Epidemiology Collaboration on Occupational Health study. Participants were categorized into diabetes (HbA1c≥6.5% (≥48mmol/mol), FPG≥126mg/dl (≥7.0mmol/L), or medication for diabetes), pre-diabetes (HbA1c 6.0-6.4% (42-46mmol/mol) or FPG 110-125mg/dl (6.1-6.9mmol/L) among those without diabetes), and normal glucose regulation. RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes was 8.0% and 3.3% in men and women, respectively. Of individuals with diabetes, approximately 80% were defined by HbA1c≥6.5% (≥48mmol/mol) criterion. The prevalence of pre-diabetes was 14.1% in men and 9.2% in women. Prevalence of these glucose abnormalities increased with advancing age, especially during mid-40s and 50s. Higher body mass index and waist circumference, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and current smoking were each associated with higher prevalence of diabetes in both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Using HbA1c and FPG criteria or current medication, one in 13 men and one in 30 women had diabetes in the present Japanese working population. Interventions targeted for those in an early stage of impaired glucose metabolism would be required to prevent diabetes.