OBJECTIVE -To estimate the prevalence of and the cardiovascular risk associated with the metabolic syndrome using the new definition proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO).RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -A total of 4,483 subjects aged 35-70 years participating in a large family study of type 2 diabetes in Finland and Sweden (the Botnia study) were included in the analysis of cardiovascular risk associated with the metabolic syndrome. In subjects who had type 2 diabetes (n ϭ 1,697), impaired fasting glucose (IFG)/impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (n ϭ 798), or insulin-resistance with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) (n ϭ 1,988), the metabolic syndrome was defined as presence of at least two of the following risk factors: obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, or microalbuminuria. Cardiovascular mortality was assessed in 3,606 subjects with a median follow-up of 6.9 years.RESULTS -In women and men, respectively, the metabolic syndrome was seen in 10 and 15% of subjects with NGT, 42 and 64% of those with IFG/IGT, and 78 and 84% of those with type 2 diabetes. The risk for coronary heart disease and stroke was increased threefold in subjects with the syndrome (P Ͻ 0.001). Cardiovascular mortality was markedly increased in subjects with the metabolic syndrome (12.0 vs. 2.2%, P Ͻ 0.001). Of the individual components of the metabolic syndrome, microalbuminuria conferred the strongest risk of cardiovascular death (RR 2.80; P ϭ 0.002).CONCLUSIONS -The WHO definition of the metabolic syndrome identifies subjects with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and offers a tool for comparison of results from different studies. Diabetes Care 24:683-689, 2001

The aim of the study was 1) to establish the prevalence of GAD antibodies (GADab) in a population-based study of type 2 diabetes in western Finland, 2) to genetically and phenotypically characterize this subgroup, and 3) to provide a definition for latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). The prevalence of GADab was 9.3% among 1,122 type 2 diabetic patients, 3.6% among 558 impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) subjects, and 4.4% among 383 nondiabetic control subjects. Islet antigen 2 antibodies (IA2ab) or islet cell antibodies were detected in only 0.5% of the GADab- patients. The GADab+ patients had lower fasting C-peptide concentrations (median [interquartile range]: 0.46 [0.45] vs. 0.62 [0.44] nmol/l, P = 0.0002) and lower insulin response to oral glucose compared with GADab- patients. With respect to features of the metabolic syndrome, the GADab+ patients had lower systolic (140 [29.1] vs. 148 [26.0] mmHg, P = 0.009) and diastolic (79.2 [17.6] vs. 81.0 [13.1] mmHg, P = 0.030) blood pressure values, as well as lower triglyceride concentrations (1.40 [1.18] vs. 1.75 [1.25] mmol/l, P = 0.003). GADab+ men had a lower waist-to-hip ratio compared with GADab- patients. Compared with GADab- patients and control subjects, the GADab+ patients had an increased frequency HLA-DQB1*0201/0302 (13 vs. 4%; P = 0.002) and other genotypes containing the *0302 allele (22 vs. 12%; P = 0.010). However, the frequency of these high-risk genotypes was significantly lower in GADab+ type 2 patients than in type 1 diabetes of young or adult onset (0201/0302 or 0302/X: 36 vs. 66 vs. 64%, P < 0.001). The GADab+ type 2 group did not differ from control subjects with respect to genotypes containing the protective DQB1-alleles *0602 or *0603, nor with respect to the type 1 high-risk genotype in the IDDM1 (Hph1 +/+). We conclude that GADab+ patients differ from both GADab- type 2 diabetic patients and type 1 diabetic patients with respect to beta-cell function, features of the metabolic syndrome, and type 1 diabetes susceptibility genes. Further, we propose that LADA be defined as GADab positivity (>5 relative units) in patients older than 35 years at onset of type 2 diabetes.

Although a strong genetic susceptibility has been established for NIDDM and a maternal transmission of the disease predominates in some populations, a relationship between parental diabetes status and metabolic abnormalities in nondiabetic offspring has not been shown in humans. To address this question, we studied 2,152 first-degree relatives of patients with NIDDM (FH+) and 528 age- and weight-matched spouses without a family history of NIDDM (FH-) in Western Finland (the Botnia study). A subset of the subjects underwent a euglycemic insulin clamp combined with indirect calorimetry to measure insulin sensitivity and energy expenditure. Despite similar amounts of total body fat, persons with a family history of NIDDM had a greater waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) than spouses without a family history of diabetes (P < 0.003). They also had a decreased resting metabolic rate (P = 0.005), but this difference disappeared when adjusted for the difference in WHR. Insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism (P = 0.002), particularly nonoxidative glucose metabolism (P = 0.009), was reduced in FH+ compared with FH- subjects, and this difference remained after adjustment for WHR. A parental history of NIDDM influenced the insulin response to the oral glucose load, with male offspring of diabetic mothers showing the lowest insulin values (P = 0.011). Moreover, a parental effect was also observed on HDL and HDL2 cholesterol concentrations with female offspring of diabetic mothers showing lower values than female offspring of diabetic fathers (both P < 0.002). We conclude that abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and decreased resting metabolic rate are characteristic features of first-degree relatives of patients with NIDDM and that the decrease in resting metabolic rate is partially related to the degree of abdominal obesity. A sex-specific paternal effect was observed on insulin and HDL cholesterol concentrations. Therefore, one has to consider the possibility of unprecedented maternal or paternal inheritance of different NIDDM phenotypes.

Identification of individuals at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes is a prerequisite for prevention of the disease. We therefore studied risk factors predicting type 2 diabetes in the Botnia Study in western Finland. A total of 2,115 nondiabetic individuals were prospectively followed with repeated oral glucose tolerance tests. After a median follow-up of 6 years, 127 (6%) subjects developed diabetes. A family history of diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 2.2, P ‫؍‬ 0.008), BMI (HR for comparison of values below or above the median 2.1, P < 0.001), waist-to-height index (2.3, P < 0.001), insulin resistance (2.1, P ‫؍‬ 0.0004), and ␤-cell function adjusted for insulin resistance (2.7, P < 0.0001) predicted diabetes. Marked deterioration in ␤-cell function with modest changes in insulin sensitivity was observed during the transition to diabetes. The combination of FPG >5.6 mmol/l, BMI >30 kg/m 2 , and family history of diabetes was a strong predictor of diabetes (3.7, P < 0.0001). Of note, using FPG >6.1 mmol/l or 2-h glucose >7.8 mmol/l did not significantly improve prediction of type 2 diabetes. In conclusion, a marked deterioration in ␤-cell function precedes the onset of type 2 diabetes. These individuals can be identified early by knowledge of FPG, BMI, and family history of diabetes. Diabetes 54: 166 -174, 2005