Objective The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and to investigate the epidemiological characteristics as well as associated risk factors in the elderly army people in Beijing area. Methods A survey was conducted among 2 239 elderly subjects aged 60 to 90 years while physical examination was undergoing in Chinese PLA General Hospital from 1996 to 2000. FPG and PPG of steam-bread meal test were measured. Subjects with PPG≥7.2 mmol/L received a standard 75 g OGTT with 10 h overnight fasting. The risk factors for incidence of DM and IGT during survey were analyzed with multiple logistic regression. Results The average follow-up duration was 3.7 years. The adjusted prevalence of DM increased from 15.8% in 1996 to 23.9% in 2000 and it increased significantly with age(P