Data from: Ectopic fat obesity presents the greatest risk for incident type 2 diabetes: a population-based longitudinal study

Objectives: Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Among
obesity, visceral fat obesity, and ectopic fat obesity, it has been
unclear which has the greatest effect on incident diabetes. Methods: In
this historical cohort study of 8430 men and 7034 women, we investigated
the effect of obesity phenotypes on incident diabetes. Obesity, visceral
fat obesity, and ectopic fat obesity were defined as body mass index
≥25 kg/m2, waist circumference ≥90 cm in men or ≥80 cm in women, and
having fatty liver diagnosed by abdominal ultrasonography, respectively.
We divided the participants into eight groups according to the presence or
absence of the three obesity phenotypes. Results: During the median 5.8
years follow-up for men and 5.1 years follow-up for women, 286 men and 87
women developed diabetes. Compared to the non-obese group, the hazard
ratios (HRs) of incident diabetes in the only-obesity, only-visceral fat
obesity, only-ectopic fat obesity groups, and with all-three types of
obesity group were 1.85 (95%CI 1.06–3.26, p = 0.05) in men and 1.79
(0.24–13.21, p = 0.60) in women, 3.41 (2.51–4.64, p < 0.001) in men
and 2.30 (0.87–6.05, p = 0.12) in women, 4.74 (1.91–11.70,
p < 0.001) in men and 13.99 (7.23–27.09, p < 0.001) in women
and 10.5 (8.02–13.8, p < 0.001) in men and 30.0 (18.0–50.0,
p < 0.001) in women. Moreover, the risk of incident diabetes of the
groups with ectopic fat obesity were almost higher than that of the four
groups without ectopic fat obesity. Conclusion: Ectopic fat obesity
presented the greatest risk of incident type 2 diabetes.