Diabetes has become a major health threat to Koreans.
The prevalence of diabetes was estimated to be 9.1%
(1.42 million people,10.2% of men and 1.17 million
people, 7.9% of women) of Korean adults aged 30 years
and over according to an analysis of the third Korean
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,
2005 (KNHANES III) [1]. Diabetes was also rated as the
fourth leading cause of death in 2005. The mortality rate
due to diabetes was 24.5 per 100,000 persons [2]. Major
causes of diabetes-related morbidity and mortality are
macrovascular and microvascular complications. Diabetes
is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in
adults and gives rise to non-traumatic lower extremity
amputations, end-stage renal diseases, and cardiovascular
diseases [3]. Therefore, it is essential that appropriate
management of patients with diabetes include early detection
and prevention of complications