Anthropometric characteristics of offspring of Nigerian Type 2 Diabetics

Objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) has a strong genetic component. Overall obesity and central obesity have strong associations with insulin resistance, which is a major factor in the development of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and Type 2 DM. The impact of a parental history of Type 2DM on anthropometric measurements known to govern glucose tolerance was examined in this study. Materials and Methods: Weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-hip ratio were measured in 52 offspring of Nigerian Type 2 diabetic patients and compared with 50 control subjects who had a similar distribution of age, sex and socio-economic class. Results: Offspring of diabetics had a significantly higher mean (SD) (i) weight (69.9(15.1)kg vs 63.8 (63.8(112)kg;p=0.024); (ii) body mass index (25.0(4.9)kg/m2 vs 23.0 (3.0)kg/m2;p=0.013;) (iii) Waist circumference (82.3(12.2) cm vs 77.2 (8.3) cm; P=0.014); (iv) hip circumference (99.0 (11.4) cm vs. 93.0 (7.2) cm; p=0.005). The waist-hip ration for both groups of subjects did not differ significantly (0.83(0.06) versus 0.82 (0.05);p=0.52). Conclusion: These results suggest that a parental history of Type 2 DM influences body fat and its distribution resulting in greater degrees of generalized and central/abdominal fat, implying a greater risk of developing Type 2 DM in view of the relationship between body fat distribution and insulin resistance. Long-term prospective studies are needed to define anthropometric indices predictive of the development of Type 2 DM, as well as its relation to insulin sensitivity, amongst Nigerians. KEY WORDS:- Type 2 diabetic parents, offspring, Anthropometry Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol.5(2) 2002: 75-8