Body mass index ≥23 is a risk factor for insulin resistance and diabetes in Japanese people: A brief report

Background Screening for undiagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus is recommended for Asian Americans with a body mass index >= 23. However, the optimal body mass index cut-off score for predicting the risk of diabetes mellitus in Japanese people is not well known. The aim of this study was to determine the best body mass index cut-off score for predicting insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus in the Japanese population. Methods This study had two parts, a clinical investigation and a retrospective observational investigation. In the clinical part of the study, 58 participants (26 with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 32 non-diabetics) underwent a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp from which their glucose disposal rate was measured. For the retrospective part of the study, medical check-up data from 88,305 people in the Tottori Prefecture were analyzed for clinical evidence of diabetes mellitus. The optimal BMI cut-off scores for prediction of insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus were determined. Results In the clamp study, the optimal body mass index cut-off score to predict insulin resistance in non-diabetic patients was 22.7. All participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus were insulin resistant, and the optimal body mass index cut-off score for prediction of severe insulin resistance was 26.2. When the data from the type 2 diabetic and the non-diabetic participants were combined, the optimal body mass index cut-off score for prediction of insulin resistance was 23.5. Analysis of 88,305 medical check-up records yielded an optimal body mass index cut-off score for prediction of diabetes mellitus of 23.6. Conclusions These results suggest that having a body mass index >= 23 is a risk factor for insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus in the Japanese population.