Diabetes mellitus type epidemiology

Generally, autoimmune diseases are perceived to be rare however, when all autoimmune diseases are combined, the estimated prevalence of 3-5% is not rare, which underlines their importance in the public health sector. Because of problems in designing and standardizing epidemiological studies and because of the fact that only limited data are available, this prevalence may be underestimated (Jacobson et al., 1997). There is epidemiological evidence of increasing prevalence of some autoimmune diseases (e.g. diabetes mellitus type 1, multiple sclerosis), although the rates for other diseases (specifically, rheumatoid arthritis, or RA) appear to be... 

Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Research Group Intensive diabetes therapy and carotid intima-media thickness in type 1 diabetes mellitus. N Engl 3 Med 2003 348 2294. 

Scorpiglione N, Belfiglio M, Carinci F, Cavaliere D, De Curtis A, Franciosi M, Mari E, Sacco M, Tognoni G, Nicolucci A. The effectiveness, safety and epidemiology of the use of acarbose in the treatment of patients with type II diabetes mellitus. A model of medicine-based evidence. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1999 55(4) 239-49. 

In a systematic review of the experimental and epidemiological data, Navas-Aden et al. (2006) argue that the evidence to date is inconclusive for a role of arsenic in the development of diabetes mellitus. Pooling the results from the Taiwan and Bangladesh studies, which were from extreme arsenic exposures, there was a risk of 2.5 for the development of diabetes. However, they point out, because of the types of studies conducted, particularly with characterization of the exposures, it was hard to interpret the association. In addition, the occupational studies that they examined showed increased and decreased morbidity from diabetes due to arsenic exposure. The general population studies, which typically had much lower arsenic exposures, were inconclusive. 

It is well accepted that glucose and insulin are linked to chronic diseases, especially diabetes. Whole-grain consumption is part of a healthy diet described as the prudent diet. Epidemiologic studies consistently show that risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus is decreased with consumption of whole grains.Whole grains are now recommended by the American Diabetes Association for diabetes prevention. ... 

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