title: Somatotype characteristics of female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: The AIM of the present study was to determine the somatotype of females patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-hundreds and twelve female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were measured. The patients were of Bulgarian ethnicity and were divided into two age groups: Group 1: 40-60 years of age and Group 2: 61-80 years of age. The control group comprised healthy females of Bulgarian ethnicity without any metabolic, neoplastic, or other disease divided into age matched groups. Measurements obtained directly were height, body weight, biepicondylar width of humerus, biepicondylar width of femur, arm circumference in relaxed state, arm circumference in contracted state, and calf circumference. Skin folds: subscapular, suprailiac, over triceps and calf. Parameters calculated: the components of the Heath-Carter anthrpometric somatotype.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean somatotype of 40-60-year-old female diabetics was mesomorph endomorph, (meso 6.09; endo 6.59; ecto 1.57). The mean somatotype of 40-60-year-old female controls was mesomorphic endomorph (meso 5.65; endo 6.82; ecto 2.75). The mean somatotype of 61-80-year-old diabetic females was endomorphic mesomorph (endo-mesomorph), (meso 9.41; endo 5.39; ecto 1.55). The mean somatotype of 61-80-year-old female controls was mesomorph-endomorph (meso 6.70; endo 6.66; ecto 2.95). Between-age comparison of female diabetics: the endomorph component dominated in the group of 40-60-year-old patients, and the mesomorph component dominated in the group of 61-80-year-old patients. In both groups ectomorphy markedly lagged behind.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mean somatotype of diabetic females aged 40-60 years is mesomoph-endomorph; it differs from the mesomorphic mesomorph somatotype of the control subjects, Endomorphy and mesomorphy dominate clearly, and ectomorphy significantly lags behind. This was the reason we get a distorted somatoplot with a sharp shift to endomorphy and mesomorhpy. The mean somatotype of diabetic women aged 60-80 years was endomorphic mesomorphy with the mesomorphy component leading. It differed from the somatotype of the controls, where mesomorphy and endomorphy scored equally (mesomorph-endomorph). The somatotype of female diabetics suggests that they have a relatively massive skeleton with well-developed muscles and greater body weight relative to height. Unlike the results of studies in other countries presenting with markedly dominating endomorphy, in our study the Bulgarian diabetic females presented with dominating mesomorphy. This can be regarded as a peculiarity of the Bulgarian diabetic patients. The somatotype of the Bulgarian diabetic females is more favorable on the risk, course and prognosis of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. dr_atanas@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Atanas G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Baltadjiev
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013008:Somatotypes