Type 2 diabetes is commonly linked with obesity and an inactive lifestyle. However, it’s not just those with excess weight who are at risk.
Surprisingly, up to 20% of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are of normal weight. It raises the question: How can we spot those who might be at risk even if they appear healthy by standard measurements?
A New Perspective on BMI
Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have shed light on a novel approach. By looking at Body Mass Index (BMI) in a different way, they believe they’ve discovered a method to pinpoint individuals at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Filip Ottosson, the lead author of the study, explains, “We found a subset of individuals with a regular BMI but whose metabolism shows patterns typically associated with obesity.”
The team’s approach involved analyzing blood samples from 7,663 participants from Sweden and Italy. These participants were divided into groups based on their “metabolic BMI,” a new metric that the team developed.
Those whose metabolic BMI was five units more than their standard BMI showed twice the risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those with a normal metabolic and standard BMI.
Implications and Future Directions
Olle Melander, a professor at Lund University and a study author, sees the potential societal impact of their findings.
“By spotting these high-risk individuals early, before the disease even starts, we can take preventive steps.
In the long run, this might save considerable resources, given the numerous health complications that type 2 diabetes can lead to.”
Their approach was not without its technological edge. The researchers employed machine learning to classify participants based on different metabolic profiles, determining the risk for type 2 diabetes.
They then followed participants from the Malmö Diet Cancer cohort in Sweden over 20 years to observe who developed the disease.
However, it’s crucial to note that further validation of these findings is needed. Filip Ottosson emphasizes the broader implications of their study, “This could pave the way for a new screening method for type 2 diabetes.
For those of normal weight at high risk, weight loss isn’t the answer. They need different interventions. Eventually, this might even lead to the development of drugs that target specific metabolites.”
In essence, this research suggests that appearances can be deceiving.
By delving deeper into our understanding of metabolism and BMI, we might be able to better predict and prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in seemingly healthy individuals.
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The study was published in Diabetes Care.
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