Prevalence of diabetes/hyperglycemia and associated cardiovascular risk factors in blacks and whites: Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry.

Prevalence rates of diabetes, asymptomatic hyperglycemia, and cardiovascular risk factors were examined in an employed population of 28,895 whites and 2607 blacks, ages 25 to 64 years. Diabetes had been previously diagnosed in this population among approximately 3% of the males of both races and 2% of the females. Plasma glucose 1 hour after a 50 gm oral load was highest among white males (141 mg/dl), similar and at intermediary levels among black males (134 mg/dl) and white females (135 mg/dl), and lowest among black females (126 mg/dl). A divergent pattern of obesity was observed, however, with black females being by far the most overweight. Preliminary mortality data for males suggest that both blacks and whites with diabetes have sizably higher death rates than those without diabetes; a black-white differential is not apparent.