English abstract
Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of impaired fasting glucose (IFG)
among Omani adults with no family history (FH) of diabetes and to investigate the factors behind the risk of
developing type 2 diabetes (T2D), while excluding a FH of diabetes. Methods: A total of 1,182 Omani adults, aged
≥40 years, visited the Family Medicine & Community Health Clinic at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman,
on days other than the Diabetes Clinic days, from July 2010 to July 2011. The subjects were interviewed and
asked if they had T2D or a FH of T2D. Results: Only 191 (16%) reported no personal history of T2D or FH of the
disease. Of these, anthropometric and biochemical data was complete in 159 subjects. Of these a total of 42 (26%)
had IFG according to the American Diabetes Association criteria. Body mass index, fasting insulin, haemoglobin
A1C and blood pressure (BP), were significantly higher among individuals with IFG (P <0.01, P <0.05, P <0.01 and
P <0.01, respectively). In addition, fasting insulin, BP and serum lipid profile were correlated with obesity indices
(P <0.05). Obesity indices were strongly associated with the risk of IFG among Omanis, with waist circumference
being the strongest predictor. Conclusion: Despite claiming no FH of diabetes, a large number of Omani adults
in this study had a high risk of developing diabetes. This is possibly due to environmental factors and endogamy.
The high prevalence of obesity combined with genetically susceptible individuals is a warning that diabetes could
be a future epidemic in Oman.
