Adiposity and hyperinsulinemia in Indians are present at birth.

We studied body size and cord blood leptin and insulin concentrations in newborn urban Indian (Pune, India) and white Caucasian (London, UK) babies to test the hypothesis that the adiposity and hyperinsulinemia of Indians are present at birth. Indian babies (n = 157) were lighter in weight compared with white Caucasian babies [n = 67; median weight, 2805 g vs. 3475 g, respectively; P < 0.001, adjusted for gestational age and sex; -1.52 SD score; confidence interval (CI), -1.66, -1.42] and had smaller abdominal (-2.39 SD score; CI, -2.52, -2.09), midarm (-1.47 SD score; CI, -1.58, -1.34), and head (-1.23 SD score; CI, -1.42, -1.13) circumferences. However, their skinfolds were relatively preserved: subscapular (central) skinfold (-0.32 SD score; CI, -0.43, -0.20) was better preserved than triceps (peripheral) skinfold (-0.86 SD score; CI, -0.97, -0.75). Cord plasma leptin (median, 6.2 ng/ml Pune and 6.4 ng/ml London) and insulin (median, 34.7 pmol/liter Pune and 20.8 pmol/liter London) concentrations were comparable in the two populations but were higher in Indians when adjusted for birth weight, confirming relative adiposity and hyperinsulinemia of Indian babies. Indian mothers were smaller in all respects, compared with white Caucasian mothers, except subscapular skinfold, which was similar in the two populations. Our results support the intrauterine origin of adiposity, central adiposity, and hyperinsulinemia in Indians. Further research should concentrate on elucidating genetic and environmental influences on fetal growth and body composition. Prevention of insulin resistance syndrome in Indians will need to address regulation of fetal growth in addition to prevention of obesity in later life.

Urinary albumin excretion rate (AER) in newly-diagnosed type 2 Indian diabetic patients is associated with central obesity and hyperglycaemia.

Urinary albumin excretion rate (AER) was measured in non-diabetic controls (n = 143) and newly diagnosed impaired glucose tolerant (IGT, n = 64) and non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetic patients (n = 146). AER progressively increased from non-diabetic [3.7 (1.1-51.3) micrograms/min, median (5-95th centile)] to IGT [4.8 (1.3-53.7)] and diabetic [7.3 (1.4-91.6)] groups. Eight percent of non-diabetic, 19% of IGT and 23% of type 2 diabetic patients showed 'microalbuminuria' (AER, 20-200 micrograms/min) (non-diabetic vs diabetic P less than 0.01, non-diabetic vs IGT NS, IGT vs diabetic NS). AER was directly related to waist-hip ratio (P less than 0.001) and HbA1 (P less than 0.01) in diabetic patients; 80% of diabetic patients with microalbuminuria were men (P less than 0.06 compared to 'normoalbuminuric' diabetic patients). Association of AER with waist-hip ratio was present in men as well as women. Thus, in the newly diagnosed type 2 Indian diabetic patients AER is associated with central obesity in addition to its well known association with hyperglycaemia. Our findings offer a possible explanation for the increased risk of proteinuria in diabetic men than in women because men are centrally more obese. It could also explain previous reports of higher AER in migrant Asian diabetic patients in the U.K. compared to native white Caucasian diabetic patients because Asians are known to be more centrally obese.