ABSTRACT

Aim: To verify the relationship between age at diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes and the need of insulin requirement. To determine the possible role of gender, blood pressure, blood lipids, waist to hip ratio, and abdominal circumference on the early onset of insulin use in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: We measured the study variables in patients who did attend to the Diabetic Clinic at the Central Ambulatory of the University of Caxias do Sul and in those presented in two Cumunitarian Actions (task-forces carried out by the University which the aim is to offer the services of different professionals to the community) between September 2002 and August 2003.

Results: The sample was composed by 61,1% of women and 38,9% of men. From the total sample, 17,7 % of the patients where on insulin use. The time elapsed from the diagnosis of diabetes was greater in the users than in non-users of insulin (9,6 ± 9,2 vs 6,0 ± 6,1 years; p =0,043). The mean age at diagnosis was similar between users and non users of insulin (52 ± 16,1 ± 11,4 vs 50 ± 11,4 years; p = 0,8).

Conclusion: There was not statistically significant difference between the age of diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and the use of insulin.

Key Words: Type 2 DM, Age at Diagnosis, Insulin Use.