Incidence of Non‐insulin‐dependent Diabetes Mellitus and Its Risk Factors in Japanese‐Americans Living in Hawaii and Los Angeles

Abstract

1. A high incidence of NIDDM is clearly observed in the population of Japanese-Americans, who are genetically indistinguishable from native Japanese; causes of this increase, from the survey results, are suspected to include westernization of lifestyle, particularly the reduction in the level of physical activity, conversion to a diet containing markedly more animal fat, simple carbohydrates, and less complex carbohydrates. 2. In the Japanese-Americans, diminished early insulin release to an oral glucose challenge and increased insulin resistance characterized by hyperinsulinaemia are suspected to be some of the important risk factors for NIDDM. Consequently, this study strongly suggested the possibility that the development of NIDDM in Japanese persons may be influenced by environmental factors.