Epidemiology of diabetes in urban and rural regions of Tlemcen (Western Algeria)]

Diabetes mellitus has become a major international health problem in recent decades. In this study we report a prevalence of diabetes of 14.2% in a set of 7,656 subjects in urban and rural areas of Tlemcen (in western Algeria), higher among men (20.4%) than women (10.7%). The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (initially non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: NIDDM) was 10.5% and of type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: IDDM) 3.7%. Overall prevalence was higher in urban (15.3%) than rural (12.9%) areas. More than half of all patients with diabetes had family members with the disease. Estimating the obesity rate according to body mass index (BMI), we found that 56.7% of all men and more than half of all women in urban areas were obese. Degenerative complications were found in 60% of diabetes patients. A policy for tracking, treating and preventing diabetes and obesity is strongly needed.