Diabetes and short legs

Patients with a low leg-to-height ration are slightly more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, according to a new study that adjusted for other risk factors .
The study is published in the July edition of Diabetes Care, and the research team involved cannot explain their findings. Their best guess is that hormones, nutrition or lack of it before birth and during childhood could affect development and diabetes risk.
To glean the results the researchers investigated the US health survey results provided between 1988-1994. The study group comprised approximately 3,600 men and 3,800 women aged between 40 and 74 years. According to researchers, being short did not affect diabetes risk, but having a low leg-to-height ratio – having shorter legs – did. The findings were based on blood sugar tests and physical examinations during the checkups.
The influence of bodily characteristics on diabetes is little understood, beyond the influence of excess fat on the development of type 2 diabetes. Metabolic syndromen, pre-diabetes, syndrome x – call it what you will, the amount of obese and overweight people who are at severe risk of developing diabetes is enormous. The future for many countries is bleak, with healthcare services already stretched to their limits.
Understanding the disease can lead to better awareness, and awareness in turn can lead to prevention.