Obesity is by far the most common risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but one in five people diagnosed with the disease have normal weight A new test is expected to assess the risk of diabetes by looking for molecular patterns in blood samples that correspond to obesity related metabolic changes, regardless of a person's actual weight
Obesity is thought to be associated with a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes. One of the most effective ways to prevent and even reverse type 2 diabetes is to lose weight.
Therefore, for doctors who track a patient's health, measuring body mass index (BMI) is very useful to determine whether someone has any potential metabolic problems. However, 20% of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes have normal weight, and finding these patients in the early stage of diabetes may be challenging.
The new study by scientists at Lund University in Sweden aims to investigate whether the levels of some metabolites in blood samples correspond to a person's BMI and whether these metabolic patterns associated with obesity can be found in people with normal BMI.
The study first tracked 108 specific metabolites in blood samples from more than 7000 people. The pattern of these metabolites can effectively predict a person's body mass index, but interestingly, a few people with normal body mass index show the same metabolite characteristics as obese subjects.
The researchers then created five different groups under the "umbrella" of metabolic BMI. For most people, their metabolic BMI effectively matched their traditional BMI, but one group was found to have a metabolic BMI about five units higher than their traditional BMI.
To assess whether this metabolic BMI status is associated with disease, the researchers turned to data from a long-term project called Malmo Diet and cancer research. The project followed more than 50000 people for more than 10 years to investigate the impact of diet on cancer.
Using this new metabolic BMI profile, the researchers evaluated the patient records of the long-term cohort study. The results showed that subjects with normal body weight but high metabolic BMI were twice as likely to have type 2 diabetes as those with metabolic BMI synchronized with body BMI.
Filip ottosson, corresponding author of the new study, said the metabolic BMI test could be used to identify patients with implicit metabolic problems. Although weight management is the most common first-line treatment for pre diabetes and type 2 diabetes, other lifestyle interventions may help this group.
Ottosson said: "this may be a new method for screening type 2 diabetes and initiating preventive measures for people with normal weight but high risk of the disease. Weight loss strategies will not benefit this group, which seems to require other interventions. In the long run, we may prescribe drugs that can reduce the levels of some metabolites."
The new study was published in diabetes care 》In the magazine.