FINDRISC Modified for Latin America as a Screening Tool for Persons with Impaired Glucose Metabolism in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela

Abstract

Objective: The Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) includes anthropometric, metabolic, and lifestyle factors that predict type 2 diabetes mellitus. The objective of this study was to evaluate the FINDRISC modified for Latin America (LA-FINDRISC) as a screening tool for persons with impaired glucose metabolism in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela. Methods: Subjects aged between 18 and 70 years of both sexes without known diabetes were invited to participate. After informed consent, they were screened with the LA-FINDRISC questionnaire and then given an oral glucose tolerance test, using the American Diabetes Association criteria for diagnosis. To obtain the cutoff point of LA-FINDRISC for predicting impaired glucose regulation, a receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed. Results: A total of 200 subjects were evaluated, 64.5% female, with a mean age of 35.20 ± 13.84 years. Of these, 158 (79%) did not present with carbohydrate metabolism disorder, while 42 (21%) did. Age (p = 0.0001), body mass index (p = 0.011), and waist circumference (p = 0.031) were significantly higher in subjects with impaired glucose regulation when compared to those without it. There were a significantly greater number of sedentary (p = 0.039) and hypertensive subjects (p = 0.0001), as well as those with a history of glucose >100 mg/dL (p = 0.0001), in the impaired glucose metabolism group. A cutoff LA-FINDRISC of 14 points predicted a high risk of impaired glucose regulation with a sensitivity of 45.2% and a specificity of 89.9%. Conclusion: A LA-FINDRISC >14 points had low sensitivity but high specificity for predicting carbohydrate metabolism disorders in this group of patients from Ciudad Bolívar.