Family history of type 2 diabetes is associated with metabolic syndrome in obese female subjects

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the family history (FH) of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a group of non-diabetic obese female subjects. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 239 female patients with obesity, regularly attending the Internal Medicine Division’s outpatient clinic (Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil). The inclusion criteria were patients with body mass index /30 kg/m2 and absence of type 2 diabetes. The FH was considered positive if a first degree relative had a diagnosis of diabetes. Seventy-four of 239 patients evaluated (30%) had a positive FH for type 2 diabetes. Patients with positive FH had higher waist/hip ratio and MetS more often than patients with negative FH. FH of type 2 diabetes was associated with MetS in this sample of nondiabetic obese female patients. Waist/hip ratio and fasting plasma glucose, markers of insulin resistance, were also associated with FH of type 2 diabetes. The simple question: “Do you have a FH of type 2 diabetes?” may help to identify the obese patients that should be better evaluated and intensively treated with the objective of preventing type 2 diabetes.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a associação entre história familiar (HF) de diabetes melito tipo 2 (DM2) e síndrome metabólica (SM) em um grupo de mulheres obesas não-diabéticas. Conduzimos um estudo transversal com 239 mulheres com obesidade, regularmente atendidas no ambulatório de medicina interrna do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brasil. Os critérios de inclusão foram pacientes com índice de massa corporal /30 kg/m2 e ausência de DM2. A HF de DM2 foi considerada positiva se um familiar de primeiro grau tivesse o diagnóstico de diabetes. Setenta e quatro das 239 pacientes avaliadas (30%) tiveram uma HF positiva de DM2. Pacientes com HF positiva tiveram maior razão cintura/quadril e mais frequentemente a presença de SM que as pacientes com HF negativa. A HF de DM2 foi associada com SM nesta amostra de pacientes femininas obesas não-diabéticas. A razão cintura/quadril e a glicemia de jejum, ambos marcadores de resistência à ação da insulina, foram também associadas com HF de DM2. A simples pergunta: “Você tem uma HF de DM2”? pode ajudar a identificar pacientes obesos que devem ser mais bem avaliados e intensamente tratados com o objetivo de prevenção do DM2.