[Mediation of abdominal obesity on the association between cigarette smoking and β-cell function]

To confirm the effect of cigarette smoking on β-cell function, and further investigate the mediation effect of abdominal obesity.

Participants would include 1440 Chinese smokers who had participated in a community-based chronic disease screening project in Guangzhou and Zhuhai from 2006 to 2007. They were interviewed with structured questionnaire on their socio-demographic status and smoking behaviors. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and fasting serum C-peptide concentration were also measured.

After adjustment for the potential confounding factors, when compared with smokers with consumption 1 - 10 cigarettes/day, smokers with consumption of 11 - 20 cigarettes/day (adjusted OR = 1.53, 95%CI: 1.22 - 1.90) or > 20 cigarettes/day (adjusted OR = 1.92, 95%CI: 1.32 - 2.79) had significant higher risks to get C-peptide concentration larger than its median. Furthermore, 37.54% of the effect of cigarette smoking on C-peptide concentration was partially mediated by abdominal obesity.

Cigarette smoking might be a risk factor for β-cell dysfunction and abdominal obesity.