Association of birthweight with diabetes and insulin sensitivity or secretion in the Japanese general population

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Low birthweight (birthweight <2,500 g) has been considered to be a risk factor for diabetes in data from Western countries, and its percentage is increasing in Japan. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between birth weight and diabetes, as well as both insulin resistance and secretion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The participants were 847 adults who underwent health check-ups. The participants were divided by birthweight into four groups (low birthweight and tertiles 1–3 above it). We assessed the effect of birthweight on diabetes using a logistic regression model. Multivariable liner regression analyses were carried out to examine whether birthweight is independently associated with homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and β-cell function. RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes tended to increase with decreasing birthweight. The adjusted odds ratio for diabetes with low birthweight was 3.52 (1.04–11.96) as compared with the reference category, tertile 2. Univariable linear regression analyses showed that homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was negatively associated with birthweight, and this association remained after adjusting for age, sex, current body mass index and family history of diabetes. There was no significant association between homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function and birthweight. CONCLUSIONS: Low birthweight was inversely associated with diabetes and insulin resistance in the Japanese general population. Longitudinal data analyses are required to examine the causal relationship between bodyweight and diabetes or insulin resistance in adulthood.