Prevalence and Associated Factors of Diabetes Mellitus in a Very Elderly Chinese Population: A Cross-sectional Study.

Abstract Objectives This paper aimed to investigate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and explore the associated risk factors in a very elderly southwest Chinese population. Methods From September 2015 to June 2016, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to obtain a representative sample of 1,326 participants over 80 years old living in Chengdu. The presence of DM was based on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2-h plasma glucose (2-hPG) levels during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). A logistic regression model was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the potential associated factors. Results The participants' mean age was 83.5 ± 3.1 years. The overall prevalence of DM was 27.4%. The prevalence was higher in males (30.2%) than females (24.7%) (P = 0.02). The prevalence of DM increased with body mass index (BMI) and decreased with aging. The multivariate analysis suggested that male sex (OR = 1.433; 95% CI, 1.116–1.843), hypertension (OR = 1.439; 95% CI, 1.079–1.936), overweight or obesity (OR = 1.371; 95% CI, 1.023–1.834), high heart rate (≥ 75 beats/min; OR = 1.362; 95% CI, 1.063–1.746), and abdominal obesity (OR = 1.615; 95% CI, 1.216–2.149) were all significantly positively correlated with DM. However, age was negatively correlated with DM (OR = 0.952; 95% CI, 0.916–0.989). Conclusions The prevalence of DM and newly diagnosed DM in a very elderly southwest Chinese population was high. OGTT screening should be performed regularly in people aged ≥ 80 years to ensure timely diagnosis of DM.