Diabetes Risk Score for Korean Adults

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic metabolic disorders in the world, and its prevalence is rapidly increasing. According to an analysis of the 2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), the overall prevalence of diabetes in Korea increased to 10.1% (3.2 million people) in 2010. Among middle-aged Korean adults, one out of two respondents was first diagnosed with diabetes by the survey, indicating that a significant number of individuals may potentially be at risk for undiagnosed diabetes. Therefore, early screening and detection of diabetes is essential to avoid diabetes-related morbidity, reduce health care costs, and prevent the deterioration of quality of life. Many risk-score questionnaires and algorithms for use in various countries and ethnic groups to identify people at high risk for diabetes have been proposed. We developed and validated a self-assessment score for diabetes risk in Korean adults. Although further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the utility and feasibility of this score in various settings, this self-assessment score may be useful for identifying Korean adults at high risk for diabetes.