Diabetes/metabolic diseases

Diabetes mellitus (diabetes) is a common metabolic disease. Type 1 diabetes occurs predominantly in children, adolescents and young adults. Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes, dominates among adults. Insufficiently controlled diabetes or diabetes that remains undetected for a long time is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney dysfunction, blindness and foot amputations. This leads to a reduced quality of life and life expectancy for those affected as well as high costs for the healthcare system.

The aim of the expert group is to describe diabetes and metabolic diseases within the German National Cohort (NAKO) and to identify risk factors as well as important complications and comorbidities.

The oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT) is an examination method used to detect impaired glucose utilisation and the early diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. In the baseline study, 15,559 NAKO participants underwent the test.