Hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes among Filipino women in the Philippines, Hawaii, and San Diego

Background:Diabetes risk increases as immigrant populations adopt western lifestyles. We compared the prevalence of fasting hyperglycemia among Filipino women aged 40–79 years in the Philippines, Hawaii, and San Diego.Methods:Data were obtained from the (1) Philippine National Nutrition Survey (1998), (2) Native Hawaiian Health Research Project (1997–2001), and (3) University of California San Diego Filipino Women's Health Study (1995–1999). Fasting glucose after an 8 h fast, blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI) were measured in all three regions; a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was performed in San Diego and Hawaii.Results:The proportion of Filipinas with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 was higher in Hawaii (20%) compared to women in San Diego (9.3%) or the Philippines (5.2%, p < 0.001). Fasting hyperglycemia prevalence (fasting plasma glucose ≥126 mg/dl or fasting whole blood glucose ≥110 mg/dl) did not differ among Filipinas in the Philippines (11.8%), San Diego (14.1%), and Hawaii (14.7%, p = 0.323). Type 2 diabetes prevalence was similar among Filipinas in San Diego (31.6%) and Hawaii (24.9%, p = 0.79).Conclusions:Despite regional differences in obesity, fasting hyperglycemia was similar among Filipinas in the Philippines, San Diego, and Hawaii and type 2 diabetes prevalence was similar among Filipinas in San Diego and Hawaii.