Anthropometric Indices and Diabetes Disease: Based on the Rafsanjan Cohort Study

Various investigations have evaluated the predictive ability of different anthropometric indices for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk and the findings were inconsistent in different populations. This study investigated the relationship between anthropometric indicators and T2DM in the Rafsanjan Cohort Study.

The present cross-sectional study included 9895 adults, aged 35-70 years, among them who have completed data, were studied. We obtained the data from the Rafsanjan Cohort Study (RCS), as a part of the prospective epidemiological research studies in Iran (PERSIAN). Fasting blood glucose >126 and use of glucose-lowering drugs were used from cohort data as T2DM. Anthropometric indices were compared for T2DM or prediabetes odds vs. normal group. Demographic characteristics and risk factors were compared in diabetes, prediabetes, and normal groups.

Of 9895 participants, about 23 (n = 2283) and 35% (n = 3455) of this population had T2DM and prediabetes, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, for waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (OR = 3.25, 95% CI 2.68-3.94) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) (OR = 2.90, 95% CI 2.40-3.49), individuals in the highest quartile had a higher probability of developing T2DM than individuals in the lowest quartile. Also, the odds ratio of T2DM increased in participants with overweight, obesity, and abnormal waist circumference (WC) by considering a cutoff point.

According to our findings, the strongest and weakest anthropometric indexes related to T2DM were WHR and WC, respectively.