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New study confirms link between breast cancer and hormone therapy Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research 2007 Saward Lecture Kaiser Permanente Study Shows Flu Vaccine Safe for Young Children Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research Launches Two New Smoking Cessation Studies OHSU, Kaiser Permanente Northwest Partner to Win $55 Million Grant to Transform Medical Research Kaiser Permanente of Georgia to merge research program Making longer-term lifestyle changes lowers rates of high blood pressure and risk of heart disease |
What's New - Obesity Link to Diabetes Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research Finds Obesity is Linked To Early Onset of Most Common Form of Diabetes Study shows risk of early diabetes rises 6 percent with every 5-8 pounds of extra weight (PORTLAND, Ore.) – The more obese a person is, the greater the risk of developing diabetes at an early age. That's the conclusion of a new study at Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research (CHR) that analyzed the characteristics of 2,437 adults living in Oregon and Southwest Washington who were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes between 1996 and 1998. The study was funded by the American Diabetes Association and is being published in the September issue of Diabetes Care. Diabetes afflicts more than 16 million people in the United States. Type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent diabetes), which accounts for 95 percent of all diabetes cases, is now an epidemic in our country. The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes has tripled in the last 30 years and is now estimated to be 6.9 percent. Much of this increase is due to a dramatic rise in obesity among Americans. Until very recently, Type 2 diabetes was considered a disease that didn't strike people until they reach age 45. In the 1990s, Type 2 diabetes began increasing at alarming rates in younger adults (age 18-44), and even in teens. It is estimated that just in the last 10 years Type 2 diabetes increased by 70 percent among adults age 30-39. The results of this new study show a clear link between obesity and the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes before age 45. People 18-44 years of age who were newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes had an average body mass index or BMI of 39 (263 pounds for someone 5'9"). People over 45 years of age had an average BMI of 33 (222 pounds for someone 5'9"). The risk of developing diabetes at an early age (18-44) rises 6 percent for every one-point rise in BMI (5-8 pounds). Body mass index or BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. A BMI of 20-25 is considered "normal" weight (135-169 pounds for someone 5'9"). A BMI of 26-29 is considered overweight (176-196 for 5'9"). Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or higher (203 pounds and above for 5'9"). A BMI of 39 is considered very obese. "Diabetes is a disease that has many causes," says Teresa Hillier, MD, a Kaiser Permanente endocrinologist and researcher at CHR who is the lead author of the article. "Excess weight, physical inactivity, and family history all play a role. What's striking about these new findings is that it is the degree of obesity that seems to trigger diabetes at an earlier age. Being overweight may lead to diabetes later in life, but being very obese greatly increases the risk of getting diabetes as a young adult." The study also found that the younger adults diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes had a high prevalence of risk factors for heart disease. More than 80 percent had a poor cholesterol profile and nearly half (49%) had high blood pressure. These findings suggest that most young adults have insulin resistance "syndrome" at the time of diabetes diagnosis and will also get heart disease several decades earlier than adults who develop diabetes after age 45. This is particularly alarming because more than half of the deaths among people with Type 2 diabetes is caused by heart disease. "Obesity is a major public health issue in our country, and the rising rate of Type 2 diabetes among young adults is fast becoming a major problem," says Dr. Hillier. "We need to increase screening in young adults who are obese and have other risk factors for diabetes because early detection and treatment may help prevent or delay complications such as heart disease. We also need to get serious about helping obese people lose weight to prevent or at least delay diabetes because recent evidence shows that modest weight loss prevents diabetes in high-risk people." Dr. Hillier says the results of a large national study released just three weeks ago showed that participants who lost 5-7 percent of their body weight (about 15 pounds) by eating a low-fat diet and exercising 30 minutes a day reduced their risk of getting Type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. "This is great news, but people don't spend their lives in a research study," comments Dr. Hillier. "We need to find effective ways to help people lose weight in their daily lives. Finding ways to do this is more than a medical issue. Reducing obesity in America will take hard work and cooperation among everyone -- parents and family members, health care providers, counselors, schools, employers, and local, state, and federal public health agencies." Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., was founded in 1964. It is a not-for-profit research institute that conducts research to improve the health of all people and to inform public health policy. Kaiser Permanente is a prepaid, group practice health care organization serving 8.2 million people nationwide in nine states and the District of Columbia, including about 445,000 people in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington. For more infomation contact: Released: August 24, 2001 |
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© 2001-2003 Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research/All Rights Reserved
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Updated 24 August. 2001 |