The prevalence of diabetes in elderly Caucasians was 8.3%. In men, dietary habits may unfavorably influence glucose tolerance independent of obesity.

We studied the intra-individual variation in plasma glucose, specific serum insulin and serum proinsulin concentrations, measured by two 75-g oral glucose tolerance tests in an age, sex, and glucose tolerance stratified random sample from a 50-74-year-old Caucasian population without a history of diabetes mellitus. The intra-individual variation was assessed by the standard deviation of the test-retest differences (SDdif). For subjects with normal (n = 246), impaired glucose tolerance (n = 198), and newly detected diabetes (n = 80) classified at the first test, the following (SDdif/median level of individual average scores) were found: fasting glucose: 0.4/5.4, 0.5/5.9 and 0.7/7.2 mmol/l; 2-h glucose: 1.3/5.6, 1.8/8.5 and 2.3/12.8 mmol/l; fasting insulin: 23/76, 32/89 and 30/116 pmol/l; 2-h insulin: 190/303, 278/553 and 304/626 pmol/l; fasting proinsulin: 4/8, 6/13 and 9/18 pmol/l; 2-h proinsulin: 19/49, 23/84 and 33/90 pmol/l, respectively. In both glucose, proinsulin and insulin concentrations the total intra-individual variation was predominantly determined by biological variation, whereas analytical variation made only a minor contribution. The SDdif can easily be interpreted, as 95% of the random test-retest differences will be less than 2.SDdif, or in terms of percentage, less than (2.SDdif/median level of individual average score) 100. Therefore, for subjects with normal glucose tolerance, 95% of the random test-retest differences will be less than 15% (fasting glucose), 46% (2-h glucose), 61% (fasting insulin), 125% (2-h insulin), 100% (fasting proinsulin) and 78% (2-h proinsulin) of the median value of the individual average scores. No substantial independent association of either age, gender or obesity with the intra-individual variation in glucose, proinsulin, or insulin concentrations was found.

We investigated the cross-sectional association between peripheral arterial disease and glycaemic level in an age, sex, and glucose tolerance stratified random sample from a 50-74-year-old Caucasian population. Subjects treated with oral hypoglycaemic agents or insulin were classified as having known diabetes mellitus (KDM) (n = 67). Using two oral glucose tolerance tests, and based on World Health Organisation criteria, all other participants were categorized as having a normal (NGT) (n = 288), an impaired (IGT) (n = 170), or a diabetic (NDM) (n = 106) glucose tolerance. Prevalence rates of ankle-brachial pressure index less than 0.90 were 7.0%, 9.5%, 15.1% and 20.9% in NGT, IGT, NDM and KDM subjects, respectively (chi-square test for linear trend: p < 0.01). Prevalence rates of any peripheral arterial disease (ankle-brachial pressure index < 0.90, at least one monophasic or absent Doppler flow curve or vascular surgery) were 18.1%, 22.4%, 29.2% and 41.8% in these categories (chi-square test for linear trend: p < 0.0001). The prevalence of any peripheral arterial disease was higher in KDM and NDM than in NGT (p < 0.03, p < 0.0001, respectively), whereas no statistically significant difference was demonstrated between IGT and NGT. The same applied when using the ankle-brachial pressure index criterion. Logistic regression analyses showed that any arterial disease was significantly associated with HbA1c, fasting and 2-h post-load plasma glucose after correction for cardiovascular risk factors (odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals 1.35; 1.10-1.65 per %, 1.20; 1.06-1.36 and 1.06; 1.01-1.12 per mmol/l, respectively), whereas it was not associated with fasting and 2-h post-load specific insulin. Ankle-brachial pressure indices were not associated with either plasma glucose parameters or insulin in univariate or multivariate analyses. In conclusion, parameters of glucose tolerance are independently associated with any peripheral arterial disease, whereas insulin is not.

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A new approach to the continuum theory of birefringence of oriented polymers Hendrik de VriesWith 4 figures and 4 tables (Received September 30, 1978) M 888 de Vries, A new approach to the continuum theory of birefrineence of oriented polymers 22 7 15"