Weight Changes in Type 2 Diabetes and Cancer Risk: A Latent Class Trajectory Model Study

Body mass index (BMI) is often elevated at type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis. Using latent class trajectory modelling (LCTM) of BMI, we examined whether weight loss after diagnosis influenced cancer incidence and all-cause mortality.

From 1995 to 2010, we identified 7,708 patients with T2D from the Salford Integrated Record database (UK) and linked to the cancer registry for information on obesity-related cancer (ORC), non-ORC; and all-cause mortality. Repeated BMIs were used to construct sex-specific latent class trajectories. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox regression models.

Four sex-specific BMI classes were identified; stable-overweight, stable-obese, obese-slightly-decreasing, and obese-steeply-decreasing; comprising 41%, 45%, 13%, and 1% of women, and 45%, 37%, 17%, and 1% of men, respectively. In women, the stable-obese class had similar ORC risks as the obese-slightly-decreasing class, whereas the stable-overweight class had lower risks. In men, the obese-slightly-decreasing class had higher risks of ORC (HR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.05-3.32) than the stable-obese class, while the stable-overweight class had similar risks No associations were observed for non-ORC. Compared to the stable-obese class, women (HR = 1.60, 95% CI: 0.99-2.58) and men (HR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.66-3.39) in the obese-slightly-decreasing class had elevated mortality. No associations were observed for the stable-overweight classes.

Patients who lost weight after T2D diagnosis had higher risks for ORC (in men) and higher all-cause mortality (both genders) than patients with stable obesity.