Bishal Joshi and Laxmi Shrestha
Background and objectives: Diabetes mellitus (DM) comprises a group of common metabolic disorders that share the phenotype of hyperglycemia. The incidence of type 2 DM is rapidly increasing worldwide and constitutes a major global health problem. The various risk factors for the development of type 2 DM are obesity, ethnicity, sedentary life style, sex, family history, hypertension and smoking. However, there is now overwhelming evidence from experimental, epidemiological and interventional studies that obesity is a major risk factor for Type 2 DM among all risk factors. Plethora of studies has shown a strong association between excess weight and risk of incident diabetes. Therefore, this study is designed to see the relationship of central and generalized obesities with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Chitwan district of Nepal.
Materials and methods: This is a comparative study of 200 participants. The study includes 100 participants with confirmed diagnosis of type 2 DM and 100 participants without any history of type 2 DM. Subjects with age group >35 years visiting OPD and IPD with confirmed diagnosis of Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus were selected for the study and their laboratory reports were obtained for confirmation. After that detailed history of study participant’s four anthropometric measurements: weight in kg, height in cm, waist circumference in cm, hip circumference in cm were taken. Body mass index and waist hip ratio were calculated from the above data.
Result: In our study mean body mass index of male and female diabetic participants was higher than of nondiabetic male and female participants. Similarly in male participants waist circumference of diabetics was higher than non-diabetics and the difference was statistically significant and in female participants WC of diabetics was also higher than non-diabetics and the difference was statistically significant. Likewise in our study the range of WHR in both male and female diabetic participants was higher than non-diabetic participants and the result was statistically significant in both the cases.
Conclusion: In light of the above findings, further longitudinal study should be designed in high risk groups that would aid in better understanding of the relationship of anthropometric parameters with type-2 diabetes mellitus.