By Colin Kenny, GP, Dromore
In this study, the BMI values of 2,294,139 Israeli adolescents were measured between 1967 and 2010. This cohort was then followed up and outcomes, obtained by linkage with official national records, were scrutinised for the incidence of diabetes and death attributed to diabetes as the underlying cause.
During 42,297,007 person-years of follow-up, there were 481 deaths from diabetes, with an increase in diabetes-related mortality evident from the 25th to the 49th BMI percentile. Overweight (85th to 94th percentiles) and obesity (the 95th percentile or higher) was particularly associated with diabetes-related mortality. Adolescent BMI, including values within the currently accepted “normal” range, strongly predicts diabetes-related mortality up to the seventh decade. The authors concluded that increasing prevalence of childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity points to a substantially increased future adult diabetes burden.
To access the full publication, click here (log-in or purchase required)
