Changes in adiposity indices over 10 years and risk of type 2 diabetes: The Whitehall II cohort study
Authors' conclusion
The changes in WC and WHtR over a decade were associated with a higher risk of developing diabetes than the change in BMI in this British adult population. Routine monitoring of WC in general practice may provide more benefit than BMI management alone in preventing diabetes.
Study context
- Population
- British middle-aged civil servants without diabetes, Whitehall II cohort; adiposity measured 1991–2004, followed for incident diabetes until 2023
- Participants
- 5,666 participants
- Exposure
- Change rates of body mass index (BMI) vs waist circumference (WC) vs waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and incident T2D
- Outcome
- Incident T2D
- Follow-up
- Median 17.6 years
Methodological detailsrepeated measures over a decade, linear mixed-effects models, Cox regression
- Repeated measures over a decade
- Linear mixed-effects models
- Cox regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Incident diabetes per 1-SD increase per decade in index change
| Group | HR |
|---|---|
| WC | 3.01 (95% CI 2.15-4.22) |
| WHtR | 2.67 (95% CI 2.00-3.55) |
| BMI | 1.98 (95% CI 1.53-2.56) |
HR
WC3.01 (95% CI 2.15-4.22)
WHtR2.67 (95% CI 2.00-3.55)
BMI1.98 (95% CI 1.53-2.56)
- Incident diabetes cases
- 633
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Mean, SD/year
| Outcome | BMI | WC | WHtR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean change rates | 0.04 | 0.06 | 0.07 |
Interaction with sex or age
- No significant interactions between change rates and sex or age
Original publication
Changes in adiposity indices over 10 years and risk of type 2 diabetes: The Whitehall II cohort study. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 14 July 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →