Prevalence and risk factors of diabetes mellitus in the rural region of Mali (West Africa): a practical approach.

A wide-range analytical study for screening diabetes mellitus in the rural region of the Republic of Mali was carried out on 7,472 subjects in whom fasting glycaemia was determined using reflectometry kits. Our results represent a breakthrough in the field of epidemiology of diabetes mellitus in West Africa. The prevalence rate of fasting hyperglycaemia equal to or over 7.00 mmol/l was 0.92%. The statistical analysis of data collected in this manner showed an increased prevalence in the Caucasian and Fulani ethnic groups, and a decreased prevalence in the Negroid ethnic groups. Age and body mass index are also risk factors in this population.