Westernization of Korean Diabetes

Ahn, Kyu Jeung

doi:2010.11.2.91

J Korean Diabetes > Volume 11(2); 2010 > Article

Opinion

The Journal of Korean Diabetes 2010;11(2):91-94.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4093/kcd.2010.11.2.91

서구화되는 한국인의 당뇨병

안규정

Westernization of Korean Diabetes

Kyu Jeung Ahn

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is constantly changing in South Korea due to the nation`s rapid industrialization and westernization. In early 1990s, the type 2 diabetes was mainly caused by the decrease in insulin secretary capacity or impaired insulin secretion. Unlike many western countries at that time, obesity and insulin resistance were not taken significantly in Korea. Nonetheless, in the midst of South Korea`s breakthrough into the rank of developed country, the situation of diabetes mellitus has completely changed. 21st century Korea is past the stage of the majority of population suffering from nutrition deficiency, and is now reaching for the status of nutrition over intake. Such rapid change in the nation`s diet triggered the establishment of KHANES (Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), and initiation of cohort study on chronic diseases. From such studies and references, changes of pathophysiology of diabetes and epidemiologic characteristics were found. Type 2 diabetes is constantly increasing in Korea, especially for Korean males. The occurrence of type 2 diabetes in Koreans are due to impaired insulin secretion and decreased insulin secretory capacity, but mainly it is because of non-obese type without metabolic syndrome. Stats from recent couple years show that type 2 diabetes Korean patients are transforming from non-obese type to obese type. Diabetes in Korea is slowly transforming from non-obese type to obese type similar to how it is in many western countries. (Korean Clinical Diabetes J 11:91-94, 2010)

Key Words: Insulin resistance, Korea, Metabolic syndrome, Obesity, Prevalence, Type 2 Diabetes