Abstract
Diabetes mellitus and its associated complications are major health and economic burdens worldwide,
in Asia and the Pacific and in Thailand. This burden is expected to continue to rise. The aim of this
study was to determine the prevalence of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose (IFG), their association
with cardiovascular risk factors, and evaluate the management of blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol
in diabetes by geographical region of Thailand. We used a database of the National Health Examination
Survey 2004, a stratified multistage sampling design representing 37,138 individuals aged ≥ 15
years; the data were collected using questionnaires, physical examination and laboratory examination
The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and IFG weighted to the national 2004 population was 6.6 percent
(5.9% in men and 7.2% in women) and 12.6 percent (14.8% in men and 10.5% in women), respectively.
Diabetes was more prevalent in urban areas. In two-thirds of those diabetics who had not been previously
diagnosed, the prevalence of associated risk factors was high among diabetics as well as those with IFG.
Two-thirds of the diabetics with concomitant high blood pressure were not aware that they had high
blood pressure. Eighty percent of the diabetics with concomitant high cholesterol were not aware that
they had high cholesterol. The risk factors for diabetes and IFG were male sex, high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, central obesity and overweight. Most risk factors could be modified by lifestyle interventions.
Improvements in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and associated risk factors are
required in order to decrease the expected burden.
