Pre-Diabetic Condition More Common in Obese Girls

Obese girls are more likely to suffer from a pre-diabetic condition than their male counterparts, putting them at higher risk of adult-onset type 2 diabetes.

That, according to a study presented at the recent annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association.

Dr. Valeria Hirschler at the Durand Hospital in Buenos Aires studied a sample of 68 obese boys and 66 obese girls who were about 12 years old, on average.

None of the obese children had type 2 diabetes, but 4.5 percent had glucose intolerance, a precursor to diabetes marked by elevated blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance, a related pre-diabetic condition in which the body fails to efficiently respond to insulin, was significantly more common in girls than boys.

This is the first time that such gender difference is proven in a pediatric obese population.

Researchers looked for a relationship between insulin resistance and the children's sexual maturity, based on stages of breast development in girls and genital development in boys. "Girls happened to be more insulin-resistant than boys across all stages of puberty," stated Dr. Hirschler.

Besides increasing the risk of diabetes, childhood obesity and insulin resistance have also been associated with adult-onset cardiovascular disease.

Reasons for the gender difference are unknown, said co-author Dr. Mauricio Jadzinsky, head of nutrition at the Durand Hospital.
Type 2 diabetes arises when the body can no longer properly use insulin, and the condition is closely linked to obesity.

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