Comparison of type 2 diabetes prevalence in Chinese migrants vs Caucasians and new perspectives for screening of cerebrovascular disease in Chinese: A proof of concept study

Aims: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a recognized risk factor for intracranial stenosis (ICS) in China where ischemic stroke is a health priority. In Europe little information is available on T2DM prevalence among Chinese minority groups and vascular screening is commonly limited to extracranial vessels. Feasibility of community-based T2DM screening, differences in T2DM prevalence between Chinese migrants and Italians, and prevalence of ICS among Chinese patients with newly diagnosed T2DM were investigated. Methods: Chinese first generation migrants (n = 1200) and native Italians (n = 291) aged 35-59 years were enrolled in a cross-sectional survey. Diagnosis of T2DM was based on fasting plasma glucose and/or current treatment with glucose-lowering drugs. Newly diagnosed Chinese patients were screened for ICS using Doppler ultrasound. Results: T2DM was more prevalent among Chinese (n = 168, 14.0%) than Italians (n = 21, 7.3%) (age-and gender adjusted OR 2.29; 95% C. L. 1.41-3.72). Prevalence of ICS among newly diagnosed Chinese was 18.2%. Nine out of the 17 patients with any ICS (52%) had > 1 intracranial lesion. Conclusions: T2DM screening within the Chinese community was feasible revealing prevalence twice as much as in the Italian cohort; the 18% prevalence of ICS in newly diagnosed Chinese patients stresses the need of implementing appropriate vascular screening strategies. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.