Subjects with type 2 diabetes often have high percentages of BMI, abdominal fat, and body fat (BF%). The accumulation of fat in the body is a continuous process and has a strong effect on insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (1,2). However, knowledge about diabetes in Vietnamese is still scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the anthropometric features of diabetes in Vietnamese.

Forty-eight newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic subjects and 96 nondiabetic control subjects, matched for age, sex, and locality, participated in the study. Weight, height, waist, and hip measurements were taken to calculate BMI and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). BF% was also recorded. All statistical analyses were done with SPSS version 9.0.

In comparison with the control subjects, the diabetic subjects had a similar BMI (22.5 ± 3.4 vs. 22.9 ± 3.7 kg/m2) but a significantly higher WHR (0.91 ± 0.07 vs. 0.86 ± 0.08; P < 0.01) and BF% (31.1 ± 5.8 vs. 27.7 ± 6.2; P < 0.001). After using multiple regression analysis, the diabetic group showed positive associations with WHR (odds ratio 2.7, 95% CI 1.3–5.5) and BF% (2.6, 1.2–5.4).

Our study showed that for the Vietnamese, abdominal fat accumulation and BF% were risk factors for diabetic subjects even though their BMI level was normal. According to previous studies, there is a close relationship between BMI and diabetes (2) as well as a correlation between BMI and BF% (3). However, some diabetic patients who are not obese may have an increased BF% distributed predominantly in the abdominal regions (1). It is suggested that our findings may be characteristic of Vietnamese diabetic subjects. Further investigation is required to determine why Vietnamese subjects have normal BMI levels but exhibit a high accumulation of abdominal fat and possess a high BF%.

The authors thank the participants for their cooperation and staff of the Nutrition Center of Ho Chi Minh City for their assistance.

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Tomisaka K, Lako J, Maruyama C, Anh NTL, Lien DTK, Khoi HH, Chuyen NV: Dietary patterns and risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus in Fijian, Japanese and Vietnamese populations.
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Address correspondence to Shigeru Yamamoto, PhD, Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, Kuramoto, Tokushima City, 770-8503, Japan. E-mail: [email protected].

DIABETES CARE
2003