Research: Obesity more of a risk factor for diabetes
Local medical experts have changed their view on the reasons for diabetes in China with obesity now a more important risk factor.
Following 95,000 non-diabetic Chinese over 40 years old, doctors from Ruijin Hospital found that about 6,500 were diagnosed with diabetes and they had investigated the reasons.
About 24.4 percent had diabetes due to insulin resistance, 12.4 percent due to pancreatic β-cell dysfunction while the rest had problems with both.
“People with obesity are more likely to suffer diabetes due to insulin resistance, while those at normal weight are likely to suffer from β-cell dysfunction,“ said Dr Wang Weiqing, who led the research. “Previously, it was believed that the main cause for Chinese with diabetes was β-cell dysfunction, however the new research found more people are having diabetes because of insulin resistance under the adoption of western lifestyles and the prevalence of overweight and obesity.”
The incidence of diabetes in China surged from 0.67 percent in 1980 to 10.9 percent in 2013. There are about 116 million Chinese people with diabetes. In some leading cities, such as Shanghai, the incidence of diabetes is about 15 percent.
“Compared with β-cell dysfunction, we found obesity-related insulin resistance has become a more important risk factor for Chinese with diabetes,” Wang said.
“The research changed the previous opinions and told us that we should establish targeted policies and treatments more in line with Chinese people’s own condition. For disease prevention, early intervention such as weight loss and insulin resistance prevention should be adopted, while for diabetes treatment, comprehensive therapies for insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction should be considered.”
Dr Ning Guang from Ruijin Hospital said the research explained the challenges and difficulties of diabetes treatment in China but also brought hope for more effective and targeted therapies.
The research was published by The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology on Tuesday.