Clinical characteristics from HUNT2 of (1) anti-GAD-positive and initially non-diabetic individuals at HUNT2 (stated to be not having diabetes), divided into autoimmune “pre-diabetic” (stated to be having diabetes in HUNT3) and persistently non-diabetic individuals (still non-diabetic in HUNT3), (2) anti-GAD-positive converters and persisters measured in HUNT3 in persistently non-diabetic participants
| (1) Autoimmune “pre-diabetic”* Anti-GAD positive HUNT2 | (1) Persistently non-diabetic† Anti-GAD positive HUNT2 | p Value‡ | (2) Persistently non-diabetic converters§ Anti-GAD negative HUNT3 | (2) Persistently non-diabetic persisters¶ Anti-GAD positive HUNT3 | p Value** | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | 32 | 76 | 41 | 35 | ||
| Sex (male) | 17 (53.1%) | 40 (52.6%) | 1.00 | 19 (46.3%) | 21 (60.0%) | 0.24 |
| Age at attendance | 50 (26–76) | 42 (21–77) | 0.19 | 44 (22–77) | 40 (21–66) | 0.24 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 92 (65–109) | 84 (64–109) | 0.01 | 82 (64–120) | 85 (64–106) | 0.24 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 27.8 (20.9–39.6) | 26.0 (19.4–34.8) | 0.02 | 25.6 (19.4–34.2) | 26.3 (19.4–34.8) | 0.32 |
| Systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 137 (107–190) | 131 (102–189) | 0.05 | 131 (102–188) | 132 (104–189) | 0.89 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) | 85 (58–122) | 78 (53–120) | 0.05 | 78 (60–120) | 79 (53–105) | 0.81 |
| Glucose, non-fasting (mmol/L) | 5.5 (4.1–10.0) | 5.1 (3.5–7.1) | <0.01 | 5.2 (3.5–7.5) | 5.0 (3.7–7.1) | 0.90 |
| Cholesterol (mmol/L) | 6.0 (3.4–7.6) | 5.7 (3.4–8.2) | 0.22 | 5.5 (3.4–8.2) | 5.8 (4.1–7.8) | 0.74 |
| HDL cholesterol (mmol/L) | 1.3 (0.7–2.4) | 1.3 (0.6–2.4) | 0.24 | 1.3 (0.7–2.4) | 1.4 (0.6–2.2) | 0.84 |
| Triacylglycerol (mmol/L) | 1.6 (0.6–7.8) | 1.3 (0.2–4.7) | 0.13 | 1.3 (0.2–4.0) | 1.3 (0.6–4.7) | 0.73 |
| Anti-GAD level (ai) | 1.44 (0.07–1.98) | 0.08 (0.06–3.58) | <0.01 | 0.06 (0.06–1.34) | 0.27 (0.06–3.58) | <0.01 |
| Family history of diabetes | 18 (56.3%) | 21 (27.6%) | <0.01 | 12 (29.3%) | 9 (25.7%) | 0.80 |
| Smoking (currently) | 12 (37.5%) | 17 (22.4%) | 0.15 | 11 (26.8%) | 6 (17.1%) | 0.41 |
Data are presented as n (%) or median (minimum–maximum values).
*Autoimmune “pre-diabetic”; individuals having autoimmune diabetes in HUNT3 (type 1 diabetes (n=13) and LADA (n=21)), but reported not having diabetes and did not have non-fasting glucose <11 mmol/l in HUNT2.
†Persistently non-diabetic; individuals who were non-diabetic both at HUNT2 and HUNT3.
‡Unadjusted p value calculated by the Mann-Whitney U test for continuous data and by Fisher's exact test for categorical data. Comparison between anti-GAD-positive autoimmune “pre-diabetic” and persistently non-diabetic individuals.
§Persistently non-diabetic converters; anti-GAD positive in HUNT2 and converted to being negative in HUNT3.
¶Persistently non-diabetic persisters; anti-GAD positive in HUNT2 and HUNT3.
**Unadjusted p value calculated by the Mann-Whitney U test for continuous data and by Fisher's exact test for categorical data. Comparison between anti-GAD-positive converters and persisters among the persistently non-diabetic individuals.
ai, Antibody index; BMI, body mass index; GAD, glutamic acid decarboxylase; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LADA, latent autoimmune diabetes in adult.