Hip circumference inversely tied to diabetes risk

(HealthDay)—There is an inverse relationship between hip circumference and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a meta-analysis published online Sept. 3 in Obesity Reviews.

Mohsen Janghorbani, Ph.D., from the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in Iran, and colleagues conducted a literature review and meta-analysis of published observational studies measuring the effects of hip circumference and height on diabetes risk.

The researchers found that in 18 studies that included 250,497 participants there were 7,765 cases of T2DM. In men and women, hip circumference was inversely associated with an increased risk of T2DM (summary relative risk [RR], 0.60 and 0.54 for men and women, respectively). There was an inverse relationship between height and T2DM seen in women only (summary RR, 0.83).

"The results from this meta-analysis strongly support an inverse association between hip circumference and T2DM in both men and women. The inverse association for height was significant only in women," the authors write. "Our results underscore the clinical and public health importance of understanding the T2DM risk conferred by different body shape."

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