Indians prone to diabetes risk decade earlier than Europeans

HYDERABAD: South Asians, including Indians, tend to develop Type-2 diabetes almost a decade earlier than their European counterparts and at a lower body mass index, according to an expert opinion published in ‘Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity’.The study is based on the views of 60 diabetologists and endocrinologists across the country with broad clinical experience ranging from 15 to 35 years. Experts point out that a distinct 'South Asian phenotype' explains the gap. Compared with white Europeans, South Asians have higher insulin levels and greater insulin resistance, along with more abdominal obesity.According to the research available online, they carry a higher body fat percentage despite normal or low BMI, more visceral and liver fat, and less lean muscle mass.Asians tend to have 3–5% more body fat at a given BMI. South Asians are also more prone to high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol and higher inflammatory markers.