Bimodality of fasting and two-hour glucose tolerance distributions in a Micronesian population. 1978

P Zimmet, and S Whitehouse

While frequency distributions of glucose concentrations in Caucasian populations are unimodal, bimodality has been described in the Pima Indians, a population with an extremely high prevalence of diabetes. Venous plasma glucose concentrations at fasting and after a 75-gm. oral glucose load were determined in 596 Nauruans, a Micronesian population with a diabetes prevalence of the same order as the Pima Indians. In both sexes and in subjects 10 to 19 years, the frequency distributions of the logarithms of the fasting and two-hour glucose values were clearly unimodal. In most sex and age groups of 20 years and older, the frequency distributions of fasting and two-hour glucose values were bimodal and consistent with a model of two overlapping Gaussian distributions. This population is characterized by marked obesity. However, there was no significant difference in the degree of obesity between subjects in the first and second curves of the bimodal distribution. This makes it unlikely that the bimodality is a consequence of the marked obesity seen in both the Pima and Nauru populations. The data show that among Nauruans, as with the Pimas, the frequency distribution of glucose concentrations can be used to separate the population into normal and hyperglycemic groups.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008849 Micronesia The collective name for islands of the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines, including the Mariana, PALAU, Caroline, Marshall, and Kiribati Islands. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p761 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p350) Caroline Islands,Ellice Islands,Gilbert Islands,Kiribati,Mariana Islands,Marshall Islands,Nauru,Tuvalu,Johnston Island,Micronesia, Federated States of,Northern Mariana Islands,Pacific Islands (Trust Territory)
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D001786 Blood Glucose Glucose in blood. Blood Sugar,Glucose, Blood,Sugar, Blood
D001835 Body Weight The mass or quantity of heaviness of an individual. It is expressed by units of pounds or kilograms. Body Weights,Weight, Body,Weights, Body
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D005215 Fasting Abstaining from FOOD. Hunger Strike,Hunger Strikes,Strike, Hunger,Strikes, Hunger
D005260 Female Females
D005951 Glucose Tolerance Test A test to determine the ability of an individual to maintain HOMEOSTASIS of BLOOD GLUCOSE. It includes measuring blood glucose levels in a fasting state, and at prescribed intervals before and after oral glucose intake (75 or 100 g) or intravenous infusion (0.5 g/kg). Intravenous Glucose Tolerance,Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test,OGTT,Oral Glucose Tolerance,Oral Glucose Tolerance Test,Glucose Tolerance Tests,Glucose Tolerance, Oral
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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