Intrauterine exposure to diabetes is associated with an excess of diabetes and obesity in the offspring, but the effects of intrauterine exposure are confounded by genetic factors. To determine the role of the intrauterine diabetic environment per se, the prevalence of diabetes and the mean BMI were compared in siblings born before and after their mother was recognized as having diabetes. Nuclear families in which at least one sibling was born before and one after the mother was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were selected. Consequently, the siblings born before and after differed in their exposure to diabetes in utero. A total of 58 siblings from 19 families in which at least one sibling had diabetes were examined at similar ages (within 3 years). The risk of diabetes was significantly higher in siblings born after the mother developed diabetes than in those born before the mother's diagnosis of diabetes (odds ratio 3.7, P = 0.02). In 52 families, among 183 siblings without diabetes, the mean BMI was 2.6 kg/m 2 higher in offspring of diabetic than in offspring of nondiabetic pregnancies (P = 0.003). In contrast, there were no significant differences in risk of diabetes or BMI between offspring born before and after the father was diagnosed with diabetes. Intrauterine exposure to diabetes per se conveys a high risk for the development of diabetes and obesity in offspring in excess of risk attributable to genetic factors alone. Diabetes 49:2208-2211, 2000 T ype 2 diabetes has strong genetic and environmental risk factors. Previous studies have shown greater transmission of type 2 diabetes to offspring from mothers than from fathers (1-3), and a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes in offspring of women with diabetes during pregnancy than in offspring of nondiabetic and prediabetic women (2). Intrauterine exposure to diabetes is also associated with a higher prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance in adolescence (4) and with an excess of obesity, especially during the first 20 years of life (5-7). Nevertheless, the effects of intrauterine exposure to diabetes may be confounded by genetic factors. For example, women who develop diabetes at an earlier age might carry more diabetes-susceptibility genes than those who develop diabetes later. Hence, they might transmit greater genetic susceptibility to their offspring.The Pima Indians of Arizona have the world's highest incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes (8,9). Both genetic and environmental risk factors contribute to the high rate of diabetes in the Pimas. In Pima Indian children aged 5-19 years, the strongest single risk factor for type 2 diabetes was exposure to diabetes in utero (10). To determine the role of intrauterine diabetic environment, which is in addition to genetic transmission of susceptibility, a sibship study was designed to compare the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and the BMI in Pima Indian siblings born before and after their mother was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSData were taken from the longitudinal ...

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -The frequencies of diabetes by the 3 sets of criteria were compared in 5,023 adult Pima Indians not taking hypoglycemic drugs. Among nondiabetic subjects, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2-h postload plasma glucose (2-h PG) concentrations and categories of impaired glucose regulation or diabetes were evaluated as predictors of diabetes defined by 1999 WHO criteria.RESULTS -The frequency of diabetes was 12.5% by 1997 ADA criteria, 14.6% by 1985 WHO criteria, and 15.3% by 1999 WHO criteria. The incidence of diabetes was strongly related to higher FPG and 2-h PG, each of which had very similar predictive powers. Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was more common than impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (15 vs. 5%), but the 5-year incidence of diabetes was higher in IFG than IGT (37 vs. 24%).CONCLUSIONS -The prevalence and incidence of diabetes are somewhat lower with the ADA criteria than with the 1985 or 1999 WHO criteria. The intermediate categories of glycemia differ substantially. IFG defines a smaller number of people who are at higher risk of developing diabetes than those with IGT. More people at high risk of diabetes could be identified by using either IFG or IGT, as recommended by the 1999 WHO criteria, or by using the FPG concentration alone, but with a lower cutoff value.

OBJECTIVE: The 1997 American Diabetes Association (ADA) and 1999 World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for diabetes and hyperglycemia were evaluated and compared with respect to prediction of microvascular and macrovascular disease and mortality RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The prevalence of retinopathy and nephropathy at baseline and during the subsequent 10 years and mortality rates were examined in relation to baseline fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2-h postload plasma glucose (2-h PG) among 5,023 Pima Indian adults and in relation to the cut points defined by the ADA and WHO criteria. RESULTS: The frequencies of retinopathy and nephropathy were directly related to baseline FPG and 2-h PG with approximate thresholds near or below the current diagnostic criteria for diabetes (FPG > or =7.0 and 2-h PG > or = 11.1 mmol/l). The rates of retinopathy were 4.7% in impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and 20.9% in diabetes by ADA criteria; 1.6% for impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and 19.7% for diabetes by 1985 WHO criteria; and 1.2% for IGT and 19.2% for diabetes by the 1999 WHO criteria. Mortality rates from cardiovascular-renal-related diseases were higher in diabetic individuals (FPG > or =7.0 or 2-h PG > 11.1 mmol/l) than in those with normal FPG and 2-h PG but were not elevated in those with IFG or IGT. CONCLUSIONS: Retinopathy and nephropathy were directly related to higher FPG or 2-h PG. FPG, which identifies those at high risk of microvascular disease and mortality, can be used to predict these outcomes and to diagnose diabetes when oral glucose tolerance testing is not practical.