Long-term influences of body-weight changes, independent of the attained weight, on risk of impaired glucose tolerance and Type 2 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate if weight gain during adulthood has effects on the risk of developing impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or Type 2 diabetes beyond effect of attained weight.


METHODS
Data were obtained from a longitudinal study of two cohorts: one of juvenile-onset obese (n = 248) and one of randomly selected control (n = 320) men, weighed at average ages of 20, 33, 44 and 51 years, respectively.


RESULTS
For any given BMI, the risk of IGT was higher the greater the weight gain since age 20 (odds ratio of 1.10 per unit kg/m2 of BMI gain, confidence interval 1.03-1.17, P = 0.004), and weight gain during both the early and later ages contributed to the increased risk. Obese men, maintaining weight since age 20, had lower risk of IGT than non-obese men who became similarly obese by age 51. The risk of Type 2 diabetes increased by weight gain in early adult life, but not by more recent weight gain in the later periods, probably because of the development of Type 2 diabetes leading to weight loss.


CONCLUSIONS
Independent of attained level of body weight in middle-aged men, weight gain is associated with increased risk of IGT, and is greater in those not overweight in childhood.
Black
E
E
Department of Human Nutrition, Centre of Advanced Food Research, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Holst
C
C
Astrup
A
A
Toubro
S
S
Echwald
S
S
Pedersen
O
O
Sørensen
T I A
TI
D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*
D001786:Blood Glucose