Low birth weight boys more likely to have prediabetes during adolescence: Study

Written By : Dr. Shravani Dali |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2022-03-11T09:00:32+05:30 | Updated On 11 March 2022 9:00 AM IST

Prediabetes is more likely to occur in adolescent boys with low birth weight, according to a recent study published in Clinical Obesity.

Prediabetes is increasingly affecting children and young adults in the United States. A new survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that around one in five adolescents (ages 12–18) and one in four young adults (ages 19–34) in the U.S. are now living with prediabetes.

Previous studies have shown that low and high birth weight impairs glucose homeostasis in adults; however, limited research has examined this relationship in adolescents. To investigate the association of birth weight with prediabetes in US adolescents using data from NHANES 2005–2016 and examine whether sex and obesity moderate this relationship. Adolescents, aged 12–15 years without diagnosed/undiagnosed diabetes and extreme birthweight (n = 1396), were classified as low birth weight (LBW), normal birth weight (NBW) and high birth weight (HBW). Logistic regression examined the relationship of birth weight with odds of prediabetes. Likelihood ratio test tested interactions of birthweight with sex and obesity measures. In this nationally representative cross-sectional study, LBW adolescents had significantly higher odds of prediabetes compared to NBW counterparts (Odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.93 (1.10, 3.38); p < .05). Sex and obesity moderated the association, such that the strength of the relationship of LBW with increased prediabetes odds was greater among male adolescents (Odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 2.40 (1.02, 5.67); p < .05) and those with overweight/obesity (Odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 2.13 (1.01, 4.49); p < .05). Findings imply that the adverse effects of LBW on glucose homeostasis could be manifested early in life. Further, the higher odds of prediabetes among LBW adolescents who are male or have overweight/obesity underscore the heightened need for prediabetes screening of these subgroups.

Reference:

Birth weight and prediabetes in a nationally representative sample of US adolescents by Namrata Sanjeevi et al. published in the Clinical Obesity.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cob.12504

Birth weightlow birth weightprediabetesadolescent boysClinical Obesity

Source : Clinical Obesity

Dr. Shravani Dali

Dr. Shravani Dali has completed her BDS from Pravara institute of medical sciences, loni. Following which she extensively worked in the healthcare sector for 2+ years. She has been actively involved in writing blogs in field of health and wellness. Currently she is pursuing her Masters of public health-health administration from Tata institute of social sciences. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751