A small rural Aboriginal community in northern Australia was surveyed for diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), hyperinsulinemia, and lipid levels. Of the 122 adults >17 yr of age who participated (95% response rate), 11.5% had diabetes, 7.4% had IGT, and the remaining 81.1% had normal glucose tolerance. Both diabetes and IGT were strongly age related. This high frequency of diabetes occurred, despite the population being relatively lean. Although the body mass index (BMI) increased with age in both men and women, only 25% of the population overall had BMI >25 kg/m2. There were wide ranges of insulin responses to glucose, with the upper fertile of 2-h insulin levels being more than seven times higher than the lower fertile (144 ± 13 vs. 19 ± 1 mLI/L). Hyperinsulinemia was associated with IGT, elevated triglycerides, and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Lipid abnormalities were much more frequent among men than women. Cholesterol levels were an average of 0.55 mM higher and triglycerides an average of 1.05 mM higher in men than in women, and both increased with age. In conclusion, this small isolated Aboriginal population from northern Australia had an unexpectedly high frequency of diabetes (in view of their relative leanness) in association with a high frequency of metabolic abnormalities indicative of insulin resistance (hyperinsulinemia, IGT, hypertriglyceridemia).
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Original Articles|
August 01 1990
Diabetes, Hyperinsulinemia, and Hyperlipidemia in Small Aboriginal Community in Northern Australia
Kerin O'Dea, PhD;
Kerin O'Dea, PhD
Department of Human Nutrition, Deakin University
Geelong, Victoria
; the Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital
Victoria
; the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services
Casuarina
; and the Menzies School of Health Research
Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
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Robin J Lion, DipHSc;
Robin J Lion, DipHSc
Department of Human Nutrition, Deakin University
Geelong, Victoria
; the Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital
Victoria
; the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services
Casuarina
; and the Menzies School of Health Research
Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
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Amanda Lee, BSc, GradDipDiet;
Amanda Lee, BSc, GradDipDiet
Department of Human Nutrition, Deakin University
Geelong, Victoria
; the Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital
Victoria
; the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services
Casuarina
; and the Menzies School of Health Research
Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
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Kathy Traianedes, BAppSc;
Kathy Traianedes, BAppSc
Department of Human Nutrition, Deakin University
Geelong, Victoria
; the Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital
Victoria
; the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services
Casuarina
; and the Menzies School of Health Research
Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
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John L Hopper, PhD;
John L Hopper, PhD
Department of Human Nutrition, Deakin University
Geelong, Victoria
; the Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital
Victoria
; the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services
Casuarina
; and the Menzies School of Health Research
Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
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Cheryl Rae, DipNFS, Cert Diet
Cheryl Rae, DipNFS, Cert Diet
Department of Human Nutrition, Deakin University
Geelong, Victoria
; the Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital
Victoria
; the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services
Casuarina
; and the Menzies School of Health Research
Casuarina, Northern Territory, Australia
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Address correspondence to Kerin O'Dea, PhD, Department of Human Nutrition, Deakin University, Victoria 3217, Australia.
Diabetes Care 1990;13(8):830–835
Article history
Received:
October 05 1989
Revision Received:
March 28 1990
Accepted:
March 28 1990
PubMed:
2209316
Citation
Kerin O'Dea, Robin J Lion, Amanda Lee, Kathy Traianedes, John L Hopper, Cheryl Rae; Diabetes, Hyperinsulinemia, and Hyperlipidemia in Small Aboriginal Community in Northern Australia. Diabetes Care 1 August 1990; 13 (8): 830–835. https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.13.8.830
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