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Background The PREDATORR (PREvalence of DiAbeTes mellitus, prediabetes, overweight, Obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia and chronic kidney disease in Romania) study is the first national study analyzing the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and prediabetes, and their association with cardiometabolic, sociodemographic, and lifestyle risk factors in the Romanian population aged 20–79 years. Methods This was an epidemiological study with a stratified, cross-sectional, cluster random sampling design. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, and anamnestic data were collected through self- and interviewer-administered questionnaires, and biochemical assays and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed. Results In all, 2728 participants from 101 clinics of general practitioners were randomly selected, with a probability proportional to population size according to the 2002 Romanian Census. The participation rate was 99.6%. Impaired glucose regulation (prediabetes, known and unknown DM) was found in 28.1% of the study population. The overall age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of DM was 11.6% (95%CI 9.6%–13.6%), of which 2.4% (95%CI 1.7%–3.1%) had unknown DM. The prevalence of DM increased with age and was higher in men than in women. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of prediabetes was 16.5% (95%CI 14.8%–18.2%), with the highest percentage in the 60–79 year age group and in women. Obesity, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, low education level, and a family history of diabetes were associated with glucose metabolism disorders. Conclusions The PREDATORR study shows a high prevalence of impaired glucose regulation in the adult Romanian population, providing data on the prevalence of DM and prediabetes and their association with several risk factors.

objective was to conduct a critical review of the factors that account for psychological insulin resistance (PIR) and of the available strategies to reduce it. Medline, PubMed, Cochrane reviews, PsycInfo, ProQuest, Science Direct, and EBSCO databases were searched and 60 studies were included in the final review. Topics reviewed included: research methods, instruments to assess PIR, PIR in patients and in the medical care team, and proposed strategies for overcoming it. The results showed that a large number of factors account for PIR in patients. The main categories are emotional, cognitive, social/cultural, and interaction with health providers. Physicians mainly delay insulin because they lack knowledge on guidelines or pancreas physiology, they fear inducing hypoglycaemia in elderly or impaired patients, and/or they lack time or personnel resources to teach initiation. Strategies proposed to reduce PIR are educational and psychological (exposure, desensitisation, relaxation and counselling). We concluded that there is a great need of evidence-based interventions that help remove psychological barriers about insulin use in patients, as well as in health care providers. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons. Practical Diabetes Int 2011; 28(3): 125-128