[Prospective population survey of IGT in a Japanese community, Hisayama]

To elucidate the prevalence and relevant factors of glucose intolerance and its effect on the development of cardiovascular disease in the current general Japanese population, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of glucose intolerance by a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test in 2,490 subjects aged 40-79 years old selected from a Japanese community, Hisayama, in 1988, and followed them for 5 years. The prevalence of diabetes (NIDDM) was 13% for men and 9% for women, and that of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was 20% and 19%, respectively. Both IGT and NIDDM were significantly associated with factors related to insulin resistance including the sum of insulin concentrations. In addition, subjects with IGT and NIDDM had a significantly higher risk of occurrence of cardiovascular disease (stroke and coronary heart disease) than did those with normal glucose tolerance.