Short stature and the risk of adiposity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes in middle age: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), 1988-1994.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between stature-related measurements (height, leg length, and leg length-to-height ratio) and adiposity, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance.


METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample of 7,424 adults aged 40-74 years, from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994). The main outcome measures were percent body fat, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and glucose intolerance based on the World Health Organization's 1985 criteria for an oral glucose tolerance test.


RESULTS
Shorter height and leg length, and lower leg length-to-height ratio, were associated with higher percent body fat, especially in women. Lower leg length-to-height ratio was associated with greater insulin resistance estimated by HOMA-IR. In multinomial regression models adjusting for potential confounders, including percent body fat, the relative prevalence of type 2 diabetes per 1-SD lower values in height, leg length, and leg length-to-height ratio were 1.10 (95% CI 0.94-0.29), 1.17 (0.98-1.39), and 1.19 (1.02-1.39), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study supports the hypothesis that adult markers of prepubertal growth, especially leg length-to-height ratio, are associated with adiposity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes in the general U.S. population.
Asao
Keiko
K
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Kao
W H Linda
WH
Baptiste-Roberts
Kesha
K
Bandeen-Roche
Karen
K
Erlinger
Thomas P
TP
Brancati
Frederick L
FL
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D007866:Leg / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology