Originally published in Insidermedicine
Standard measurements taken in doctors’ offices, such as height, weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels can help predict which school-aged children will go on to develop type 2 diabetes, according to research published in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Here are some tips for staving off type 2 diabetes:
• Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
• Engage in at least 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity physical activity on most days
• Eat at least three to five serving of fruits and vegetables daily and limit saturated fat and sugar intake
Researchers from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center followed-up two groups of school-aged children for either nine or 26 years. The investigators looked at whether standard measurements taken during a typical doctor’s check-up, such as height and weight, blood pressure, or blood sugar and cholesterol levels, could predict whether the children would develop diabetes by age 19 or 39.
In the first group of over 1000 girls blood pressure, BMI, and insulin level were all found to be predictive of diabetes at age 19.
In the second group of over 800 school children, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, race, family history, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels were found to be highly predictive of the risk of diabetes as at 39. In fact, those with blood pressure and a BMI below the 75th percentile and whose parents did not have diabetes had a risk of diabetes at age 39 of only 1%
Today’ research provides health care workers with simple formulas for identifying children who are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes and who might benefit from interventions such as diet and exercise regimens.
