This study was conducted in Riyadh to determine the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance. Blood samples (3981) were collected from Saudi male and female adults (2402) and children (1579) during a household screening program conducted over a period of two years from September 1991 to September 1993. Fasting blood samples were collected and each individual was given an oral glucose load. Two-hour postprandial blood glucose was estimated and the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria were used to diagnose diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance. The diabetic patients were further grouped into noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) depending on the age of onset and mode of treatment. The overall prevalence of diabetes mellitus (IDDM and NIDDM) was 4.76% in males and 4.10% in the females in the two-to 70-year age group. Ten individuals of the 3981 were suffering from IDDM, giving an incidence of two to three per 1000. When the children <14 years were removed, the prevalence increased to 8.235% and 6.476% in the males and females respectively, while in the >30 year old group, the prevalence increased to 16.0% and 12.34% in the males and females. Further significant increase in NIDDM and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was observed with age (P<0.05). NIDDM was more frequent in males while IGT was more frequent in females. This paper presents the results of screening in Riyadh and stresses the need for diabetes mellitus awareness programs in the Saudi population. Ann Saudi Med 1995; 15(6):598-601. Diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disorder, is characterized by a state of hyperglycemia resulting from an absolute or relative deficiency or inefficiency of insulin.1 Epidemiological studies conducted on insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) have led to better understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis and natural history of diabetes in several populations of the world. [2][3][4][5][6] It is of interest that although diabetes mellitus is encountered in all populations, there is a significant variation in its prevalence in different parts of the world. Of relevance are the findings that both environmental and genetic factors are implicated as possible modulators of the prevalence of diabetes mellitus. 7The diabetes demography categorizes the countries worldwide into four groups, depending on the prevalence of the disease 7 as follows: 1) low prevalence countries with prevalence <3% in the >30 year age group; 2) moderateprevalence countries with prevalence ranging between 3% and 10%; 3) high-prevalence countries with prevalence between 11% and 20%; and 4) extremely high prevalence countries with prevalence >40%.In Saudi Arabia, a few reports have indicated the presence of diabetes mellitus in the different regions of the country. In a study from Riyadh, the prevalence in men over the age of 35 years was reported to be 6%. 8 In another study from Jeddah on hospital patients, diabetes mellitus ...

Glutathione reductase [GR]is a ubiquitous enzyme required for the conversion of oxidized glutathione [GSSG] to reduced glutathione [GSH] concomitantly oxidizing reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate [NADPH]in a reaction essential for the stability and integrity of red cells. Mutations in the GR gene and nutritional deficiency of riboflavin, a co-factor required for the normal functioning of GR, can cause GR deficiency. We conducted a study on 1691 Saudi individuals to determine the overall frequency of GR deficiency and to identify whether the deficiency results from genetic or acquired causes or both. The activity of GR was measured in freshly prepared red cell haemolysate in the presence and absence of flavin adenine dinucleotide [FAD]and the activity coefficient [AC] was determined. Samples with low GR activity [>2.0 IU/g haemoglobin] both in the presence and absence of FAD and an AC between 0.9 and 1.2 were considered GR-deficient. Samples with AC >/= 1.3 were considered riboflavin-deficient. The overall frequency of partial GR deficiency was 24.5% and 20.3% in males and females respectively. In addition, 17.8% of males and 22.4% of females suffered from GR deficiency due to riboflavin deficiency. This could be easily corrected by dietary supplementation with riboflavin. No cases of severe GR deficiency were identified