Studies find that up to half of new diabetes cases in the United States are associated with obesity

A new study published Wednesday highlights the role of obesity in type 2 diabetes.That suggest Obesity is a major factor in up to half of the new diabetes cases that occur each year in the United States.

The link between obesity and type 2 diabetes (a condition in which blood sugar levels remain uncontrolled and remain too high) is well established. However, the authors say their new study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, provides more recent estimates of how often obesity contributes to diabetes. Those that rely on longer-term data than those used in previous studies. The study was led by researchers at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago.

They examined years of data from two sources. The first was the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), an annual survey that asks a nationally representative group of Americans about their lifestyle and diet. Habit. The other is the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), a continuous study of more than 6,000 volunteers who have been tracking their health since 1999 to study heart disease. did. The combined data provided researchers with two different ways to study American health over the long term, especially from middle-aged to older people.

According to NHANES data, between 2001 and 2004, about 34% of Americans between the ages of 45 and 2004 79 met the criteria for obesity (body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher). From 2013 to 2016, it changed to 41%.. According to MESA data, 11.6% of participants with no history of diabetes developed this condition for a median of 9 years.And those who were obese in the MESA study were about three times more likely to eventually develop diabetes during that period than non-obese people (20% vs. 7.3%).

Based on both MESA and NHANES data, researchers estimate that obesity is currently associated with 30% to 53% of new diabetes cases seen each year.The impact of this relationship is not equal for everyone But a group of people. Both obesity and type 2 diabetes are more common in people of color than whites, and blacks and Hispanic Americans are also more likely to die of diabetes. However, the relationship between obesity and diabetes was actually the strongest among white women, even though this group had the lowest overall obesity rate.

“Our study highlights the potential impact of reduced obesity on t.ype2 Diabetes prevention in the United States. We need to prioritize reducing obesity,Natalie Cameron, a principal investigator and physician resident at Northwestern University in Chicago, said in a statement. release By the American Health Association, which helped fund this study With the federal government.. “Public health efforts to support a healthy lifestyle, such as increased access to nutritious foods, increased physical activity, and the development of community programs to prevent obesity, will significantly reduce t new cases. can do.ype2 diabetes. “

Other studies found Incidence of New Diabetes Cases in the United States From 2008 Even if the obesity rate rises at the same time in 2018.However, the proportion of new annual cases in people under the age of 20 has not declined, And diabetes is still 7The leading cause of death in the United States, which contributed to the deaths of 87,647 in 2017.The authors are also concerned that the covid-19 pandemic could directly and indirectly exacerbate the situation (some). the study It even suggests that covid-19 infection may directly contribute to the development of new diabetes).

“The severity of covid-19 infection in obese people is of concern due to the increased burden of adverse health effects that may be experienced in the coming years. Therefore, more adults are more likely. Further efforts are needed to adopt a healthy lifestyle and preferably reduce the prevalence of obesity, “said senior research author Sadiya Khan in a statement.