Association of body mass index and age with incident diabetes in Chinese adults: a population-based cohort study

Objective. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is increasing in young adults, and greater adiposity is considered a major risk factor. However, whether there is an association between obesity and diabetes and how this might be impacted by age is not clear. Therefore, we investigated the association between body mass index (BMI) and diabetes across a wide range of age groups (20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70, ≥70 years old). Design. We performed a retrospective cohort study using healthy screening program data. Setting. A total of 211,833 adult Chinese persons > 20-years-old across 32 sites and 11 cities in China (Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Suzhou, Shenzhen, Changzhou, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hefei, Wuhan, Nantong) were selected for the study; these persons were free of diabetes at baseline. Primary and secondary outcome measures. Fasting plasma glucose levels were measured and information regarding the history of diabetes was collected at each visit. Diabetes was diagnosed as fasting plasma gluco...