Leg length and type 2 diabetes: what's the link?
Noel T Mueller1, Mark A Pereira
1aDepartment of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health bDepartment of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Institute of Human Nutrition, New York, New York cDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care
|July 14, 2015
Summary
Shorter relative leg length is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Early life nutrition may influence this association, highlighting potential public health interventions.
Area of Science:
- Human development and metabolic health
- Epidemiology of chronic diseases
Background:
- Human leg length is influenced by genetics and early development.
- Leg length may be associated with long-term metabolic disease risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- Review literature on relative leg length and type 2 diabetes across different economic societies.
- Hypothesize mechanisms linking relative leg length and type 2 diabetes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on relative leg length and type 2 diabetes.
- Analysis of associations in Western, Chinese, and Brazilian populations.
Main Results:
- Lower relative leg length is associated with impaired glucose homeostasis and type 2 diabetes risk.
- The association was stronger in Brazilian women with early menarche.
- Potential mechanisms include suboptimal early-life nutrition affecting growth and glucose regulation.
Conclusions:
- Shorter relative leg length is linked to higher type 2 diabetes risk across diverse populations.
- Further research is needed to confirm mechanistic hypotheses.
- Interventions targeting modifiable determinants of leg growth may improve public health.
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