Prevalence of non-insulin dependent diabetes as perceived by general practitioners in France

A representative, random sample of French general practitioners, reported the number of diabetic patients they treated in their practices. The resulting NIDDM prevalence rate for France was 1.71% (SE +/- 0.03), compatible with the rates found in other studies. Prevalence rates for NIDDM were also calculated by region and a multivariate covariance model was used to correlate the prevalence with known risk factors. The three significant factors were: the quantity of wine consumed, the female/male sex ratio of people over 45 years of age, both positively correlated, and the consumption of animal fats, which was negatively correlated with NIDDM prevalence.