[Glucose metabolism alterations and follow-up study of a non-diabetic adult population].

Objective: To determine the appearance of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) at five years of follow-up in a known non-diabetic population.

Design: nested case control studies (case s-control into a cohort) developed in two stages: 1) identification and characterization of the cohort and 2) follow-up.

Study Population: representative sample of a non-diabetic population between 40 and 75 years old attended in a Primary Health Center.

Identification: 326 persons, 2.1% of whom were diagnosed of previously unknown DM2 and 7.3% of IFG. Insulin resistance (IR) was higher in patients with IFG and pancreatic function of beta cells (PFBC) was higher in the population without glucose metabolism alteration.

Follow-up: 121 persons, 9.7 % of whom evolved to DM2 (all with IFG). IFG proportion at the end of the follow-up was 23.96%.

Conclusions: At 5 years of follow-up, more than 1/3 of the population studied developed DM2 or IFG. These diagnoses were related with IR and PFBC.