Prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance
Number of people with impaired glucose tolerance
Impaired glucose tolerance
|
Regional estimates for IGT (20 - 79 age group), 2003 and 2025 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2003 |
2025 | |||||
|
Region |
Population (20-79) (million) |
No. of people with IGT (million) |
Prevalence (%) |
Population (20-79) (million) |
No. of people with IGT (million) |
Prevalence (%) |
|
AFR |
295 |
21.4 |
7.3 |
541 |
39.4 |
7.3 |
|
EMME |
276 |
18.7 |
6.8 |
494 |
36.5 |
7.4 |
|
EUR |
621 |
63.2 |
10.2 |
646 |
70.6 |
10.9 |
|
NA |
290 |
20.3 |
7.0 |
374 |
29.6 |
7.9 |
|
SACA |
252 |
18.5 |
7.3 |
364 |
29.5 |
8.1 |
|
SEA |
705 |
93.4 |
13.2 |
1,081 |
146.3 |
13.5 |
|
WP |
1,384 |
78.5 |
5.7 |
1,751 |
120.2 |
6.9 |
|
Total |
3,823 |
314 |
8.2 |
5,251 |
472 |
9.0 |
In 2003, some 314 million people worldwide, or 8.2%, in the age group 20 - 79 had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). By 2025 the number of people with IGT is projected to increase to 472 million, or 9.0% in the adult population.
In addition to diabetes, IGT also constitutes a major public health problem, both because of its association with diabetes incidence and its own association with an increased risk of the development of cardiovascular disease.
The South-East Asian (SEA) Region currently has the highest number of people with IGT with some 93 million and the highest prevalence rate with 13.2%. While the Western Pacific (WP) Region is the next highest in terms of number with about 78 million, its prevalence rate of 5.7% is the lowest compared with the other regions as shown in the figure below.
By 2025, the trend is expected to continue with the South-East Asian Region leading in prevalence with 13.5% and in number with some 146 million people as shown in the figure below.
The prevalence of IGT is more than twice that of diabetes in the African (AFR) and South-East Asian Regions, whereas the prevalence in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME), and North American (NA) Regions is slightly lower than that of diabetes, as the figure below shows.
As with diabetes, the 40-59 year age group currently has the greatest number of persons with IGT with 124 million. This is almost 40% of all adults with the condition. This age group will continue to have the greatest number by 2025.
There was also a female predominance in the number of persons with IGT in the estimates for both 2003 and 2025. The female numbers were about 20% higher than for males.