J Korean Med Sci.  2001 Aug;16(4):391-396. 10.3346/jkms.2001.16.4.391.

Obesity as a Risk Factor for Non-insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus in Korea

• Sung EJ
• Sunwoo S
• Kim SW
• Kim YS

• KMID: 648295
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2001.16.4.391

Abstract

Most Korean patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) have been reported not to be obese, and many of them lost weight significantly during the course of their disease. In this regard, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) and the risk for NIDDM among Koreans. Subjects who had received a medical examination from 1990 to 1991 and who were available for the detection of NIDDM until September 1999 were included. Subjects who initially had diabetes or were diagnosed as diabetic within 1 yr after enrollment were excluded. We reviewed the medical records of final cohort of 2,531 subjects. Follow-up of this cohort revealed 117 cases with diabetes with an incident of 7.8 per 1,000 person-years. Compared with those with BMI less than 23 kg/m2, the adjusted relative risks for diabetes mellitus for those with BMI of 23-24.9, 25-26.9, and greater than 27 kg/m2 were 0.85 (0.47-1.50), 1.29 (0.72-2.31), and 3.38 (1.22-4.63), respectively, for men (p for trend<0.01) and as for 9.14 (1.99-41.8), 7.36 (1.47-36.8), and 14.5 (3.03-69.2), respectively, for women (p for trend<0.01). These data indicate a direct relationship between obesity and the risk for the development of diabetes, emphasizing the importance of weight control for the prevention of NIDDM in Koreans.

Keyword

Diabetes Mellitus, Non-Insulin-Dependent; Obesity; Body Mass Index; Risk Factors

MeSH Terms

Adolescence
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Body Mass Index
Cohort Studies
Diabetes Mellitus, Non-Insulin-Dependent/*etiology
Female
Human
Male
Middle Age
Obesity/*complications
Retrospective Studies