Diabetes in Bolivia
La Diabetes en Bolivia
Rev. panam. salud pública; 10 (5), 2001
Publication year: 2001
Objective. To measure the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, obesity, and
related risk factors in major cities in Bolivia Methods. A population-based survey was conducted in four Bolivian cities: La Paz, El Alto, Santa Cruz, and Cochabamba. The total sample size was chosen to be 2 948 persons. The overall response rate was 86%, with the rate varying somewhat among the four cities. DM was diagnosed through an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) 2 hours after an overload of 75 grams of glucose, using World Health Organization criteria. Results. The overall prevalence of DM in the four urban areas combined was 7.2% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.2%–8.3%) and of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was 7.8%. A total of 73.1% (95% CI: 65.0%–81.0% ) of those previously diagnosed with DM and 73.7% (95% CI: 61.0%–86.4%) of newly diagnosed cases were overweight, according to measurements of body mass index. Hypertension was found in 36.5% (95% CI: 27.6%–45.5%) of known diabetics and in 36.6% (95% CI: 23.0%–50.1%) of newly diagnosed cases, compared to only 15.9% (95% CI: 14.3%–17.5%) among people without DM. The disease was most common among older persons and those with little education. Conclusions. Diabetes is a genuine public health problem in Bolivia. Further, the high prevalence of IGT that was found suggests that diabetes prevalence will increase in the
future in the country unless prevention strategies are implemented
Objetivos. Determinar la prevalencia de la diabetes sacarina, la hipertensión, la
obesidad y los factores de riesgo relacionados en grandes ciudades de Bolivia.
Métodos.