For Women, Diabetes Risk May Be Linked to Body Shape

A genetic variant that regulates where women store body fat could influence type 2 diabetes risk, a new study reports.

Alleles, or versions, of this genetic variant - which is located near the KLF14 gene - cause fat-storing cells to function differently, which can change a woman's body shape.

Lead study author Kerrin Small, PhD, explained:

Previous studies have shown that on average, women who carry fat in their hips - those with a 'pear-shaped' body type - are significantly less likely to develop diabetes than those with smaller hips. Looking at the variant we studied, large-scale genome-wide association studies show that women with one allele tend to have larger hips than women with the other one, which would have a protective effect against diabetes.

The genetic variant is inherited maternally, which could explain - in certain cases - why diabetes is genetic.

Apple or pear?

Women who have fat that collects around the middle -sometimes described as apple-shaped - are generally more at risk for type 2 diabetes.

Yet according to Dr. Danny Sam, from Kaiser Permanente, body shape is less of a factor for diabetes risk than body mass index or body weight.

“Patients who have a higher body mass index have a higher risk [of diabetes]," Sam said.

Waist measurement is also an important factor that can predict diabetes risk - women with a waistline greater than 35 have a higher risk for type 2 diabetes, while for men the number is 40 inches.

Source: American Society of Human Genetics, Everyday Health

Get a Free Diabetes Meal Plan

Get a free 7-Day Diabetes Meal Plan from Constance Brown-Riggs who is a Registered Dietitian-Certified Diabetes Educator and who is also a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Just enter in your email below to download your free Diabetes Meal Plan.

By clicking Submit, you agree to send your info to BattleDiabetes.com who, in addition to 3rd party partners, may contact you with updates, products and information and we agree to use it according to our privacy policy and terms and conditions.

More Articles

More Articles

For decades people with type-1 and advanced type-2 diabetes relied on painful and often flawed insulin injections to regulate blood sugar...

Scientists have discovered that a single gene forms a common link between type 2 diabetes and...

Natural supplements like cinnamon extract and apple cider vinegar could hold the key to lowering blood sugar levels, according to a recent...

Natural supplements like cinnamon extract and apple cider vinegar could hold the key to lowering blood sugar levels, according to a recent...

Could a person's risk for type 2 diabetes be written in their genes?

According to a study recently published in ...

Women who frequently shift around their sleeping hours could have worse metabolic health outcomes than their peers who stick with a...

The presence of the hormone leptin may hinder prenatal development, which could explain the origin of type 2 diabetes, according to...

An analysis of fossilized Native American feces shows that our ancestors ate up to sixteen times the fiber that we do today, but our...

Managing diabetes is hugely challenging for people of any age, but a new study suggests that young people may suffer all the more....

Disruptions to the gut’s ecosystem could be a future symptom facing young children who take antibiotics, which makes them more susceptible...

Breastfeeding a newborn holds many benefits for mommy and baby; it reduces the baby's risk for colds and viruses, it helps his bones (and yours)...

Fans of the Dexcom G5 Mobile have something to smile about.

At yesterday's hearing with the U.S. Food and Drug...

If you start your day with a cup of tea and end it with a glass of red wine, your blood sugar may thank you.

At least that...

As medical experts continue to debate whether or not "healthy obesity" can even exist, one new study suggests that risk for heart disease...

For years, type 1 diabetics have been anxiously waiting for that medical marvel that can stop the constant injections: the artificial...