Low birth weight may raise risk of Type-2 diabetes

Children born with low birth weight were seen to be at higher odds of developing Type-2 diabetes in adulthood, according to two studies. The studies, published in the journal Diabetologia, showed that each 1 kg decrease in birth weight was associated with a 3.3 year younger age of diabetes onset, lower body mass index and smaller waist circumference. Babies born below 3 kg were also associated with increased overall comorbidity, with a 36 per cent higher chance of having 3 or more comorbidities and a 26 per cent higher chance of having a systolic blood pressure above 155 mm Hg (severe hypertension). Type-2 diabetes patients with lower birth weight also show a higher use of diabetes drugs than those with normal birth weight.