Risk factors for the development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in Japan.

Follow-up studies of subjects with impaired glucose tolerance in Japan have shown that a higher level of blood glucose is a major predictor of the subsequent development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). In addition, subjects with a lower insulin response to glucose show a higher risk for the development of NIDDM. In fact, most of the subjects who later develop diabetes show a lower insulin response to glucose at the initial examination. Moreover, obesity is generally associated with a higher risk of developing NIDDM. We conclude that low insulin secretion forms an important basis and obesity plays a precipitating role among low-insulin responders in the pathogenesis of the majority of NIDDM patients in Japan.