title: Central adiposity is significantly higher in female compared to male in Pakistani type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) rates are increasing rapidly in South Asians. Cardiovascular complications are more frequent and occur earlier in our patients than patients in many other ethnic groups. Reasons for this are not fully understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to evaluate the body total and central fat percentage in type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients and to check correlation with BMI, waist circumference and metabolic profile.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study conducted at endocrine clinic, Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, Pakistan, from May to December 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients of either gender with type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomly selected. A separate proforma for each patient was recorded for demographics, risk factors, bioelectrical impedance measurement for body fat and investigations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Correlation between body fat and other covariate were compared by Pearson correlation coefficient test. A P < 0.05 was considered significant. SPSS19.0 was used to analyze the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and seventy five patients (95 male and 80 female) with mean age of 54.1 ± 12 years were evaluated. Mean duration of diabetes was 8.1 years, mean HbA1c was 8.1% and 53.7% were on oral agents and rest were on insulin with or without oral agents. Hypertension was present in 65.7%, 13.7% had known coronary artery disease and 2.3% had cerebrovascular disease. Mean BMI in males was 29.1 ± 4.74 kg/m(2) and females 31.7 ± 5.3 kg/m(2). Mean waist circumference in males was 107.3 ± 16.6 cm and 103 ± 12 cm in females. Total body fat percentage (%BF) in males was 30.9 ± 7.1% and females 40 ± 8.2% with 89% of the total cohort having total body fat percentage above the normal, less than 25% central fat percentage was 13.3 ± 5.2% in males and 14.6 ± 5.5% in females with 79.4% of cohort having increased central fat (normal <9%). Total and central body fat correlated with BMI (r = 0.68, P < 0.001) and waist circumference (r = 0.66, P < 0.001) but not with HbA1c, triglyceride level or with fasting or random blood glucose levels. Women had significantly higher total body fat percentage compared to men (P < 0.001) although central fat percentage was similar in both sexes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High body fat percentage, waist circumference are seen especially in woman and central body fat percentage in both sexes among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Pakistan. Body fat percentage should be measured and followed as this may be an important contributing factor to the high macrovascular complication rate in this part of world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akhter
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Faraz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fiazuddin
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ayesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shaheryar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Warda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Niaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Danial
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Safia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Awan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Nanik
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ram
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Jaweed
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akhter
keywords: Bio-impedance analysis; body fat; type 2 diabetes mellitus