Getting Fat After Age 50 Greatly Increases Diabetes
Risk that Already Escalates for Seniors
Participants with a greater than 4 inch increase in
waist size from baseline to the third follow-up visit had a 70 percent
higher risk of type 2 diabetes
June 22, 2010 For senior citizens
and baby boomers those age 65
or older obesity, excess body fat around the waist and gaining weight
after the age of 50 have been found to increase the risk of diabetes.
Diabetes has doubled in the U.S. in the last 15 years and is highest
among seniors age 65 to 79.
"Approximately 70 percent of U.S. men and women 60
years of age and older are overweight or obese. Adiposity (body fat) is
a well-recognized risk factor for type 2 diabetes among young and
middle-aged adults, however, the relationships between different
measures of body composition and diabetes in older adults [65 years of
age or older] are not well described," according to a report on the
study in the June 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA).
People who survive to 70 in reasonable health have
different set of risks and benefits associated with the amount of body
fat to younger people; study questions current BMI guidelines for older
adults
Being overweight is defined as having a body mass
index (BMI) that is 25 or greater]
Mary L. Biggs, Ph.D., of the University of
Washington, Seattle, and colleagues examined the relationship between
measures of overall body fat, fat distribution, changes in these
measures, and diabetes risk among 4,193 men and women 65 years of age
and older.
Study finds Body Mass Index not the best indicator
of mortality
August 8, 2006
Measures of body fate (adiposity) were determined when
participants entered the study, and repeated three years later. The
incidence of diabetes was ascertained based on use of antidiabetic
medication or a fasting blood glucose level of 126 mg/dL or greater.
Over a median (midpoint) follow-up of 12.4 years,
339 new cases of diabetes were diagnosed among the study participants.
The researchers found that BMI at baseline, BMI at
50 years of age, weight, fat mass, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio,
and waist-height ratio were all strongly related to the risk of
diabetes.
"For each measure, there was a graded increase in
the risk of diabetes with increasing quintiles of adiposity.
Participants in the highest category of adiposity had an approximately
2- to 6-fold increased risk of developing diabetes compared with those
in the lowest category. We found no evidence of significant statistical
interaction by sex or race," the authors write.
Also, compared with participants whose weight
remained stable (plus or minus 4.4 lbs.) over the time period, those who
gained 20 lbs. or more between the age of 50 years and study entry had
an approximately 3-fold greater risk of developing diabetes during
follow-up, regardless of their BMI at 50 years of age.
Participants who were obese (BMI 30 or greater) at
50 years of age and who experienced the most weight gain (more than 20
lbs.) between the age of 50 years and study entry had 5 times the risk
of developing diabetes compared with weight-stable participants with
normal BMI (less than 25) at 50 years of age.
The researchers also found that participants in the
highest categories of both BMI and waist circumference had more than 4
times the risk of those in the lowest category of both measures.
Participants with a greater than 4 inch increase in
waist size from baseline to the third follow-up visit had a 70 percent
higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared with those who gained or lost
0.8 inches or less.
"Results of this study affirm the importance of
maintaining optimal weight during middle age for prevention of diabetes
and, while requiring confirmation, suggest that weight control remains
important in reducing diabetes risk among adults 65 years of age and
older," the authors conclude.
Links to More on Senior
Citizens and Obesity in SeniorJournal.com Archives
With the metric system, the
formula for BMI is weight in
kilograms divided by height
in meters squared. Since
height is commonly measured
in centimeters, divide
height in centimeters by 100
to obtain height in meters.
Example: Weight = 68 kg,
Height = 165 cm (1.65 m)
Calculation: 68 χ (1.65)2
= 24.98
June 22, 2010 For senior citizens
and baby boomers those age 65
or older obesity, excess body fat around the waist and gaining weight
after the age of 50 have been found to increase the risk of diabetes.
Diabetes has doubled in the U.S. in the last 15 years and is highest
among seniors age 65 to 79.
More
About BMI