[Are there any clinical and metabolic differences between immigrant and Spanish-born diabetic patients?].

AIM

To determine the clinical features and the metabolic control in immigrant diabetic patients in two Primary Care centres in La Rioja, Spain.

DESIGN

Descriptive study.

SETTING

Two urban Primary Care centres which cover a population of 11,700 and 23,000 patients in Logroño.

PRIMARY OUTCOMES

Socio-demographic variables (age, sex, origin country of origin, age at onset of diabetes), clinical variables (blood pressure, waist circumference (WC), high, weight, BMI) and analytical variables (fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, lipid profile). The immunology of DM and baseline C-peptide were studied in patients younger than 40 years old.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 70 diabetic immigrants, aged between 18 and 70 years old and registered until December 31(st) 2009, and 70 Spanish-born diabetic patients were selected by consecutive sampling.

RESULTS

The final sample consisted of 140 patients (70 immigrants, 70 Spanish). Mean age of Spanish-born diabetics, 55.5 years, of immigrants 45.7 years (P=.002).Age at diagnosis 38.4 years in immigrants and 48.1 years in autochthonous (P=.004).WC in immigrants 104.1cm, in Spanish-born, 105.3 cm (P=.56).BMI in immigrants 29, in Spanish-born 32.1 (P=.06).Mean glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in immigrants 8.4%, in Spanish-born 7.5% (P=.002). Blood pressure and lipid values were lower in Hindustani and North African patients than in Spanish-born and other immigrant groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Immigrant diabetic patients are younger at diagnosis, have an unchanged baseline C-peptide secretion, higher HbA1c levels, higher WC with lower BMI compared to Spanish-born patients.