Hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes among Filipino women in the Philippines, Hawaii, and San Diego

Background: Diabetes risk increases as immigrant populations adopt western lifestyles. We compared the prevalence of fasting hyperglycemia among Filipino women aged 40-79 years in the Philippines, Hawaii, and San Diego. Methods: Data were obtained from the (1) Philippine National Nutrition Survey (1998),(2) Native Hawaiian Health Research Project (1997-2001), and (3) University of California San Diego Filipino Women's Health Study (1995-1999). Fasting glucose after an 8 h fast, blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI) were measured in all three regions; a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was performed in San Diego and Hawaii. Results: The proportion of Filipinas with BMI >= 30 kg/m(2) was higher in Hawaii (20%) compared to women in San Diego (9.3%) or the Philippines (5.2%, p < 0.001). Fasting hyperglycemia prevalence (fasting plasma glucose >= 126 mg/dl or fasting whole blood glucose >= 110 mg/dl) did not differ among Filipinas in the Philippines (11.8%), San Diego (14.1%), and Hawaii (14.7%, p = 0.323). Type 2 diabetes prevalence was similar among Filipinas in San Diego (31.6%) and Hawaii (24.9%, p = 0.79). Conclusions: Despite regional differences in obesity, fasting hyperglycemia was similar among Filipinas in the Philippines, San Diego, and Hawaii and type 2 diabetes prevalence was similar among Filipinas in San Diego and Hawaii. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.