A new long-term study has found that the combination of excess body fat and low muscle mass can increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by up to 3.5 times, highlighting the importance of maintaining both a healthy weight and muscle strength.
The study, led by researchers at Curtin University in Australia, tracked the health of approximately 480,000 adults over a period of 14 years.
According to the findings, individuals who were both obese and had low muscle mass faced a 19 per cent higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than those who were obese alone. Their risk was also 91pc higher than individuals with low muscle mass but without obesity.
Researchers said the findings challenge the widely held assumption that diabetes risk is determined primarily by body weight.
Instead, they suggest that muscle mass and strength play a significant role in metabolic health and should be considered alongside weight when assessing an individual’s risk of developing the disease.
Lead author and PhD researcher Zhong Yang Guan said the study demonstrates that evaluating diabetes risk should extend beyond body weight alone.
He noted that maintaining healthy muscles may be just as important as controlling body weight in reducing the likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that can damage nerves, the eyes and kidneys, while also increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and several types of cancer, the researchers added.
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