Weight gain after 50 can lead to diabetes—study
POSTED June 23, 2010 - 12:07 | POSTED BY neha gupta
Last edited by Harpreet Bhagrath on June 23, 2010 - 12:29
People who gain more than 20 pounds after the age of 50 were found to be three times more prone to suffering from type2 diabetes as compared to those whose weight remained stable after 50.
"People over the age of 65 are at the highest risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and they have the highest rates of morbidity and mortality from heart disease, which can be related to diabetes. This is really a key clinic and public health issue," said study author Mary Biggs, a research scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Details of the study
For the study, the researchers looked at the data of 4200 men and women from the Cardiovascular Health Study conducted from 1989 to 2007.
The participants were all aged above 65 years and not diagnosed with diabetes.
Body statistics like body-mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and more, of the participants were recorded before and during the course of the study which lasted for almost 12 years.
The diabetes risk was determined based on use of anti-diabetic medication or fasting blood glucose level.
Outcome of the study
The participants with the highest baseline measurements had 4.3 times higher risk of developing diabetes as compared to those with the lowest measurements.
The men with waists above 104.6 centimeters had 5.1 times higher risk of the disease compared to those with waist lines below 89.1 centimeters.
In women, the risk was 3.6 times higher for those with waist measurements of 101.1 centimeters compared to those with measurements of 78.6 centimeters.
Moreover there were 339 new cases of type 2 diabetes over the study period.
Participants with almost a 4-inch increase in their waist size showed a 70 percent higher risk of developing diabetes than those with a 0.8 inch gain or less.
"Results in the study affirm the importance of maintaining optimal weight during middle age for prevention of diabetes,” Mary L. Biggs, Ph.D., was quoted as saying. "Weight control remains important in reducing diabetes risk among adults 65 years of age and older."
The study was published in the June 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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