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. 2010 Apr;33(4):763-7.
doi: 10.2337/dc09-1586. Epub 2010 Jan 12.

Role of adiposity and lifestyle in the relationship between family history of diabetes and 20-year incidence of type 2 diabetes in U.S. women

Esther van 't Riet  1 , Jacqueline M Dekker, Qi Sun, Giel Nijpels, Frank B Hu, Rob M van Dam
Affiliations

Role of adiposity and lifestyle in the relationship between family history of diabetes and 20-year incidence of type 2 diabetes in U.S. women

Esther van 't Riet et al. Diabetes Care. 2010 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate to what extent the association between family history of diabetes and risk of type 2 diabetes can be explained by excess adiposity and lifestyle risk factors.

Research design and methods: We analyzed data from 73,227 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study cohort. A family history of diabetes was defined as having at least one first-degree family member with diabetes. Lifestyle factors, weight, and height were assessed by using validated questionnaires, and BMI was calculated. The relative risk of type 2 diabetes was estimated using Cox proportional hazards analysis.

Results: We documented 5,101 cases of type 2 diabetes during 20 years of follow-up. The age-adjusted relative risk of type 2 diabetes in participants with a family history was 2.27 (95% CI 2.14-2.40) compared with the risk in those without a family history of diabetes. Participants with a family history of diabetes had a higher BMI and were more likely to have a parental history of obesity. BMI explained 21.1% (19.4-22.9) of the association between family history of diabetes and risk of type 2 diabetes. Intakes of red meat, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages explained 1.1% (0.8-1.3), 4.8% (4.3-5.3), and 2.8% (2.4-3.2) of this association, respectively.

Conclusions: These results suggest that excess adiposity and, to a lesser extent, specific dietary habits can explain a substantial part of the association between having a family history of diabetes and risk of type 2 diabetes.

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