Association between visceral adiposity index and cancer risk in the UK Biobank cohort.

BACKGROUND: The visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a marker of visceral fat accumulation and metabolic dysfunction, but there is limited evidence of its association with cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate associations between the VAI and both incident cancer at 23 sites and all-cause cancer. METHODS: In total, 385,477 participants (53.3% women; mean age, 56.3 years) from the UK Biobank prospective cohort were included in this study. The median follow-up was 8.2 years (interquartile range, 7.3-8.9 years). The VAI was calculated using formula the published by Amato et al. and was categorized into sex-specific tertiles. Twenty-four incident cancers were the outcomes. Cox proportional hazard models were adjusted for sociodemographics, lifestyle factors, and multimorbidity counts. RESULTS: Over the follow-up period, 47,882 individuals developed cancer. In the fully adjusted models, the VAI was associated with a higher risk of six cancer sites. Individuals in the highest tertile, compared with those in the lowest tertile, had higher risks of uterine (hazard ratio [HR], 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.76-2.49), gallbladder (HR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.26-2.66), kidney (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.18-1.64), liver (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.00-1.56), colorectal (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05-1.24), and breast (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.03-1.19) cancers and of all-cause cancer (HR, 1.05). There was no evidence of a nonlinear association between the VAI and cancer risk. CONCLUSIONS: The VAI was associated with six cancer sites and with all-cause cancer. The prognostic and etiologic roles of visceral fat accumulation and dysfunction in cancer warrant further research.

Childhood maltreatment, adulthood obesity and incident type 2 diabetes: a retrospective cohort study using UK Biobank.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the association of childhood maltreatment with obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in adulthood, and whether obesity is a mediator of the latter. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study using UK Biobank data, participants recalled childhood maltreatment. Linear regression, logistic regression, and Cox proportional hazard models were used to investigate the associations with body mass index (BMI), obesity, and T2D, adjusted for sociodemographic factors. Decomposition analysis was used to examine the extent to which T2D excess risk was attributed to BMI. RESULTS: Of the 153,601 participants who completed the childhood maltreatment questions, one-third reported some form of maltreatment. Prevalence of adult obesity and incidence of T2D were higher with the number of reported childhood maltreatment types. People who reported ≥3 types of childhood maltreatment were at higher risk of obesity (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.47-1.63) and incident T2D (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.52-1.80). Excess T2D risk among those reporting maltreatment could be reduced by 39% if their BMI was comparable to participants who had not been maltreated, assuming causality. CONCLUSIONS: People who recalled maltreatment in childhood are at higher risk of T2D in adulthood, partly due to obesity.

In people with type 2 diabetes, sarcopenia is associated with the incidence of cardiovascular disease: A prospective cohort study from the UK Biobank.

AIM: To investigate the association of sarcopenia with cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence in people with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study with 11 974 White European UK Biobank participants with type 2 diabetes, aged 40-70 years, included. Sarcopenia was defined based on the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People as either non-sarcopenic or sarcopenic. Outcomes included CVD, stroke, heart failure (HF) and myocardial infarction (MI). The association between sarcopenia and the incidence of outcomes was investigated using Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. The rate advancement period was used to estimate the time period by which CVD is advanced because of sarcopenia. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 10.7 years, 1957 participants developed CVDs: 373 had a stroke, 307 had an MI and 742 developed HF. Compared with non-sarcopenia, those with sarcopenia had higher risks of CVD (HR 1.89 [95% CI 1.61; 2.21]), HF (HR 2.59 [95% CI 2.12; 3.18]), stroke (HR 1.90 [95% CI 1.38; 2.63]), and MI (HR 1.56 [95% CI 1.04; 2.33]) after adjustment for all covariates. Those with sarcopenia had CVD incidence rates equivalent to those without sarcopenia who were 14.5 years older. Similar results were found for stroke, HF and MI. CONCLUSIONS: In people with type 2 diabetes, sarcopenia increased the risk of developing CVD, which might occur earlier than in those without sarcopenia. Therefore, sarcopenia screening and prevention in patients with type 2 diabetes may be useful to prevent the complications of CVD.

Association of five diet scores with severe NAFLD incidence: A prospective study from UK Biobank.

AIM: This study aimed to contrast the associations of five common diet scores with severe non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) incidence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 162 999 UK Biobank participants were included in this prospective population-based study. Five international diet scores were included: the 14-Item Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS-14), the Recommended Food Score (RFS), the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI), the Mediterranean Diet Score and the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay score. As each score has different measurements and scales, all scores were standardized and categorized into quartiles. Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for confounder factors investigated associations between the standardized quartiles and severe NAFLD incidence. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 10.2 years, 1370 participants were diagnosed with severe NAFLD. When the analyses were fully adjusted, participants in quartile 4 using the MEDAS-14 and RFS scores, as well as those in quartiles 2 and 3 using the HDI score, had a significantly lower risk of severe incident NAFLD compared with those in quartile 1. The lowest risk was observed in quartile 4 for the MEDAS-14 score [hazard ratio (HR): 0.76 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.62-0.94)] and the RFS score [HR: 0.82 (95% CI: 0.69-0.96)] and as well as in quartile 2 in the HDI score [HR: 0.80 (95% CI: 0.70-0.91)]. CONCLUSION: MEDAS-14, RFS and HDI scores were the strongest diet score predictors of severe NAFLD. A healthy diet might protect against NAFLD development irrespective of the specific approach used to assess diet. However, following these score recommendations could represent optimal dietary approaches to mitigate NAFLD risk.

Association Between Device-Measured Physical Activity and Incident Heart Failure: A Prospective Cohort Study of 94 739 UK Biobank Participants.

BACKGROUND: Studies of objectively measured physical activity (PA) have investigated acute cardiovascular outcomes but not heart failure (HF), an emerging chronic condition. This study aimed to investigate the dose-response relationship between device-measured PA and HF by intensity of PA. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of 94 739 UK Biobank participants who had device-measured PA in 2013 to 2015 and were free from myocardial infarction and HF. PA was measured with a wrist-worn accelerometer, and time spent on light-, moderate-, and vigorous-intensity PA was extracted. Incident HF was ascertained from linked hospital and death records. Cox proportional hazard models with cubic penalized splines were used to study the associations, which were adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Competing risk was handled with cause-specific hazard ratios. RESULTS: The overall incidence of HF was 98.5 per 10 000 person-years over a median 6.1 years of follow-up. Compared with participants who undertook no moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA, those who performed 150 to 300 min/wk of moderate-intensity PA (hazard ratio, 0.37 [95% CI, 0.34-0.41]) and 75 to 150 min/wk of vigorous-intensity PA (hazard ratio, 0.34 [95% CI, 0.25-0.46]) were at lower HF risk. The association between vigorous-intensity PA and HF was reverse-J shaped with a potentially lower risk reduction above 150 min/wk. CONCLUSIONS: Device-measured PA, especially moderate-intensity PA, was associated with a lower risk of HF. Current vigorous-intensity PA recommendations should be encouraged but not increased. In contrast, increasing moderate-intensity PA may be beneficial even among those meeting current recommendations.

Associations between an inflammatory diet index and severe non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a prospective study of 171,544 UK Biobank participants.

BACKGROUND: Although non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is linked to inflammation, whether an inflammatory diet increases the risk of NAFLD is unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between the Energy-adjusted Diet Inflammatory Index (E-DII) score and severe NAFLD using UK Biobank. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 171,544 UK Biobank participants. The E-DII score was computed using 18 food parameters. Associations between the E-DII and incident severe NAFLD (defined as hospital admission or death) were first investigated by E-DII categories (very/moderately anti-inflammatory [E-DII < - 1], neutral [E-DII - 1 to 1] and very/moderately pro-inflammatory [E-DII > 1]) using Cox proportional hazard models. Nonlinear associations were investigated using penalised cubic splines fitted into the Cox proportional hazard models. Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle and health-related factors. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 10.2 years, 1489 participants developed severe NAFLD. After adjusting for confounders, individuals in the very/moderately pro-inflammatory category had a higher risk (HR: 1.19 [95% CI: 1.03 to 1.38]) of incident severe NAFLD compared with those in the very/moderately anti-inflammatory category. There was some evidence of nonlinearity between the E-DII score and severe NAFLD. CONCLUSIONS: Pro-inflammatory diets were associated with a higher risk of severe NAFLD independent of confounders such as the components of the metabolic syndrome. Considering there is no recommended treatment for the disease, our findings suggest a potential means to lower the risk of NAFLD.

Dose-response relationship between device-measured physical activity and incident type 2 diabetes: findings from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Most studies investigating the association between physical activity (PA) and the risk of type 2 diabetes are derived from self-reported questionnaires, with limited evidence using device-based measurements. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the dose-response relationship between device-measured PA and incident type 2 diabetes. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 40,431 participants of the UK Biobank. Wrist-worn accelerometers were used to estimate total, light, moderate, vigorous and moderate-to-vigorous PA. The associations between PA and incident type 2 diabetes were analysed using Cox-proportional hazard models. The mediating role of body mass index (BMI) was tested under a causal counterfactual framework. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 6.3 years (IQR: 5.7-6.8), with 591 participants developing type 2 diabetes. Compared to those achieving < 150 min/week of moderate PA, people achieving 150-300, 300-600 and > 600 min/week were at 49% (95% CI 62-32%), 62% (95% CI 71-50%) and 71% (95% CI 80-59%) lower risk of type 2 diabetes, respectively. For vigorous PA, compared to those achieving < 25 min/week, individuals achieving 25-50, 50-75 and > 75 min/week were at 38% (95% CI 48-33%), 48% (95% CI 64-23%) and 64% (95% CI 78-42%) lower type 2 diabetes risk, respectively. Twelve per cent and 20% of the associations between vigorous and moderate PA and type 2 diabetes were mediated by lower BMI, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PA has clear dose-response relationship with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Our findings support the current aerobic PA recommendations but suggest that additional PA beyond the recommendations is associated with even greater risk reduction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The UK Biobank study was approved by the North West Multi-Centre Research Ethics Committee (Ref 11/NW/0382 on June 17, 2011).

Association between walking pace and incident type 2 diabetes by adiposity level: A prospective cohort study from the UK Biobank.

AIMS: To investigate the combined association of adiposity and walking pace with incident type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We undertook a prospective cohort study in 194 304 White-European participants (mean age 56.5 years, 55.9% women). Participants' walking pace was self-reported as brisk, average or slow. Adiposity measures included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and body fat percentage (BF%). Associations were investigated using Cox proportional hazard models, with a 2-year landmark analysis. A four-way decomposition analysis was used for mediation and additive interaction. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) follow-up was 5.4 (4.8-6.3) years. During the follow-up period, 4564 participants developed type 2 diabetes. Compared to brisk-walking participants with normal BMI, those with obesity who walked briskly were at an approximately 10- to 12-fold higher risk of type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 9.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.24-12.84, in women; HR 11.91, 95% CI 8.80-16.12, in men), whereas those with obesity and walked slowly had an approximately 12- to 15-fold higher risk (HR 12.68, 95% CI 9.62-16.71, in women; HR 15.41, 95% CI 11.27-21.06, in men). There was evidence of an additive interaction between WC and BF% and walking pace among women, explaining 17.8% and 47.9% excess risk respectively. Obesity mediated the association in women and men, accounting for 60.1% and 44.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Slow walking pace is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes independent of adiposity. Promoting brisk walking as well as weight management might be an effective type 2 diabetes prevention strategy given their synergistic effects.

Device-measured physical activity and incident affective disorders.

BACKGROUND: Studies on physical activity (PA) and mental health are largely limited to self-reported PA. This study aims to use prospective cohort data to investigate the association between device-measured PA and affective disorders. METHODS: A total of 37,327 participants from UK Biobank who had not had any prior affective disorder diagnoses were included in this prospective cohort study. Wrist-worn accelerometers were used to measure total, light (LPA), moderate (MPA), and vigorous (VPA) PA. Associations between PA domains and affective disorders were analysed using penalised splines in Cox proportional hazard models. Analyses were adjusted for other intensity-specific PA and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Sensitivity analyses were conducted adjusting for body mass index and longstanding illnesses as well as excluding events in the first 2 years of follow-up. Preventable fractions for the population were estimated for MPA and VPA. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 6.8 years, 1262 (3.4%) individuals were diagnosed with affective disorders. Replacing 30 min of sedentary behaviour in a week with MPA (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.94-0.97) or VPA (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.85-0.98) was associated with lower risk of affective behaviours, up to 500 and 120 min of MPA and VPA. Assuming causality, 5.14% and 18.88% of affective disorders could have been prevented if MPA ≥150 min/week and VPA ≥75 min/week were achieved, respectively, across the study population. CONCLUSIONS: Device-measured MPA and VPA were associated with lower risk of affective disorders. The potential mental health benefits of MPA continue to accrue above the current World Health Organization recommendation.

Types of diet, obesity, and incident type 2 diabetes: Findings from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study.

AIM: To investigate the associations between types of diet and incident type 2 diabetes and whether adiposity mediated these associations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 203 790 participants from UK Biobank (mean age 55.2 years; 55.8% women) without diabetes at baseline were included in this prospective study. Using the dietary intake data self-reported at baseline, participants were categorized as vegetarians (n = 3237), fish eaters (n = 4405), fish and poultry eaters (n = 2217), meat eaters (n = 178 004) and varied diet (n = 15 927). The association between type of diet and incident type 2 diabetes was investigated using Cox-proportional hazards models with a 2-year landmark analysis. The mediation role of adiposity was tested under a counterfactual framework. RESULTS: After excluding the first 2 years of follow-up, the median follow-up was 5.4 (IQR: 4.8-6.3) years, during which 5067 (2.5%) participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. After adjusting for lifestyle factors, fish eaters (HR 0.52 [95% CI: 0.39-0.69]) and fish and poultry eaters (HR 0.62 [95% CI: 0.45-0.88]) had a lower risk of incident type 2 diabetes compared with meat eaters. The association for vegetarians was not significant. Varied diet had a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Obesity partially mediated the association of fish (30.6%), fish and poultry (49.8%) and varied (55.2%) diets. CONCLUSIONS: Fish eaters, as well as fish and poultry eaters, were at a lower risk of incident type 2 diabetes than meat eaters, partially attributable to lower obesity risk.

Combined association of walking pace and grip strength with incident type 2 diabetes.

The current study aims to investigate the combined association of walking pace and grip strength with incident type 2 diabetes (T2D). A total of 205 738 participants (mean age 56.6 ± 8.1 years, 115 139 [56.0%] women) without diagnosed or unknown diabetes at baseline from the UK Biobank study were included in this prospective study. Walking pace was self-reported as slow, average, or brisk. Grip strength was measured using a dynamometer and classified as weak, average, and strong. The combined association of walking pace and grip strength with incident T2D was investigated using Cox-proportional hazards models with a 2-year landmark analysis. The additive interaction was conducted by estimating relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI). After the median follow-up period of 5.4 years (interquartile range: 4.8-6.5), 5082 (2.5%) participants were diagnosed with T2D. Compared to brisk-strong individuals (reference group), people who were slow-weak had a higher risk of T2D (hazard ratio: 1.64 [95% CI, 1.42-1.89]) after adjusting for all covariates. There were dose-response gradients across both walking pace and grip strength variables. There was a modest amount of negative additive interaction (RERI; -0.06 [95% CI, -0.16; -0.01]. To conclude, slower pace and weaker grip strength were associated with a higher risk of developing T2D, independent of sociodemographics, lifestyle, and adiposity. Combining walking pace and grip strength might be a practical approach to screening people who are at increased risk of developing T2D.

Association of Stair Use With Risk of Major Chronic Diseases.

INTRODUCTION: Physical inactivity is associated with a higher risk of chronic diseases. Regular stair use can contribute to increasing physical activity in the population. This study aimed to investigate the association between flights of stairs used daily at home and all-cause mortality and cause-specific incidence and mortality. METHODS: Of the 502,628 UK Biobank participants recruited between 2007 and 2010, 442,027 (mean age, 56±8 years) had available data and were included in the analyses conducted in 2023. Participants were categorized on the basis of flights of stairs climbed daily (1-5, 6-10, 11-15, >15). The disease-specific outcomes were cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause dementia. Cox proportional hazard models, adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health-related confounding factors, were used to analyze the associations between stair use frequency and health outcomes. RESULTS: Participants were followed up for a median of 10.9 years. Climbing stairs >15 times per day was associated with a lower risk of 8 of the 9 outcomes analyzed than not using stairs. The magnitude of association ranged from 3% (95% CI=0.94, 0.99) lower risk for all-cause cancer to 51% (95% CI=0.39, 0.60) lower risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Findings were similar for mortality outcomes, with the hazard ratios ranging from 0.82 (95% CI=0.77, 0.87) for all-cause cancer to 0.46 (95% CI=0.23, 0.92) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Stair use was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and cause-specific incidence and mortality independent of confounding factors, including adiposity and multimorbidity.

Exploring the Underlying Mechanisms Linking Adiposity and Cardiovascular Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study of 404,332 UK Biobank Participants.

Obesity is causally associated with multiple cardiovascular outcomes but effective population measure to control obesity is limited. This study aims to decipher to which extent excess atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD) and heart failure (HF) risk due to obesity can be explained by conventional risk factors. This is a prospective cohort study of 404,332 White UK Biobank participants. Participants with prior CVDs or other chronic diseases at baseline, or body mass index <18.5 kg/m2 were excluded. Data were collected at the baseline assessment between 2006 and 2010. Linkage to death registrations and hospital admission records was used to ascertain ASCVD and HF outcomes up to late 2021. Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥30 kg/m2. Candidate mediators included lipids, blood pressure (BP), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and liver and kidney function markers, which were chosen based on clinical trials and Mendelian randomization studies. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Mediation analysis based on g-formula was used to separately estimate the relative importance of mediators for ASCVD and HF. Compared with people without obesity, obese people had an increased risk of ASCVD (HR 1.30, 95% CI, 1.26-1.35) and HF (HR 2.04, 95% CI, 1.96-2.13) after adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and medications for cholesterol, BP and insulin. The strongest mediators for ASCVD were renal function (eGFR: mediation proportion: 44.6%), BP (SBP: 24.4%; DBP: 31.1%), triglycerides (19.6%), and hyperglycemia (HbA1c 18.9%). These mediators collectively explained more excess risk of ASCVD than that of HF. Interventions that help obese individuals to maintain healthy lipid concentrations, BP, glycemic control, and kidney function could potentially alleviate a sizable proportion of the ASCVD burden. However, HF burden could not be meaningfully reduced without weight management.

Dose-Response Associations of Dietary Inflammatory Potential With Health Outcomes: A Prospective Cohort Study of 198,265 UK Biobank Participants.

To investigate the dose-response associations of dietary inflammatory potential with all-cause mortality and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of 198,265 UK Biobank participants who completed at least 1 dietary assessment. A web based 24 hours recall questionnaire was used to derive the energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII). All-cause mortality and incident CVD and cancer ascertained from linked records. RESULTS: After adjusting for socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, there were J-shaped associations of E-DII with all-cause mortality and CVD, and a relatively linear association with cancer. When E-DII was <0, E-DII was not associated with any of the outcomes. When E-DII was ≥0, the linear associations were strongest in all-cause mortality (HR 1.09, 95% CI, 1.05-1.13), followed by CVD (HR 1.06, 95% CI, 1.03-1.09), and cancer (HR 1.03, 95%,CI, 1.01-1.05). CONCLUSION: Dietary inflammatory potential was associated with mortality and CVD primarily when the diet is proinflammatory.

Associations and predictive performance of 11 anthropometric measures with incident type 2 diabetes: A prospective cohort study from the UK Biobank.

OBJECTIVE: The study aim was to investigate associations of 11 anthropometric measures with incident type 2 diabetes and compare their predictive performance. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 161,127 White European UK Biobank participants who were free of diabetes at baseline. Anthropometric measures included height, weight, BMI, A Body Shape Index, waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, waist to height ratio (WHtR), hip circumference, visceral adiposity index, hip index, and anthropometric risk index. The associations were examined using Cox proportional hazard models. The differences in C-index were used to compare predictive performance between BMI and other anthropometric measures. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 10.0 (interquartile range: 9.3-10.8) years, during which 6315 participants developed type 2 diabetes. All markers except height and hip index were positively associated with incident type 2 diabetes. The strongest associations were found for WHtR (hazard ratio per 1-SD increment: 2.27 [95% CI 2.19-2.35] in women; 1.96 [95% CI 1.90-2.01] in men). Compared with BMI, WHtR and anthropometric risk index had significantly better type 2 diabetes risk discrimination. CONCLUSIONS: Although most adiposity markers were associated with type 2 diabetes, the magnitude of the associations differed. WHtR had the strongest associations and predictive ability for type 2 diabetes and thus could be a more suitable marker for clinical use.

Association of Self-reported Walking Pace With Type 2 Diabetes Incidence in the UK Biobank Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between self-reported walking pace and type 2 diabetes (T2D) incidence and whether it differed by physical activity levels and walking time. METHODS: There were 162,155 participants (mean age, 57.1 years; 54.9% women) from the UK Biobank prospective study, recruited between 2006 and 2010, included in the study. Walking pace was self-reported and classified as brisk, average, or slow. Total physical activity and walking time were self-reported using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Association between walking pace and T2D incidence and the potential moderating role of physical activity and walking time were investigated using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 7.4 (interquartile range, 6.7 to 8.2) years. There were 4442 participants in whom T2D developed during the follow-up period. In the fully adjusted model (sociodemographic factors, diet, body mass index, and physical activity), average walking pace (hazard ratio [HR], 1.28; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.44) and slow walking pace (HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.62 to 2.24) were associated with a higher T2D risk compared with brisk walking among women. Among men, average walking pace (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.17 to 1.40) and slow walking pace (HR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.50 to 1.99) were also associated with higher T2D risk. Compared with slow walkers, brisk walkers have the same diabetes incidence rate 18.6 and 16.0 years later, for women and men, respectively. CONCLUSION: Average and slow walking pace was associated with a higher risk of incident T2D in both men and women, independent of major confounding factors. The associations were consistent across different physical activity levels and walking time.

Combined association of general and central obesity with incidence and mortality of cancers in 22 sites.

BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) are measures of general and central obesity, respectively, and both have been shown to be associated with cancer. However, there is insufficient evidence of their combined association with the risk of cancer. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the associations of combinations of BMI and WC with cancer at 22 sites. METHODS: A total of 386,101 (54.5% women) UK Biobank participants aged from 37 to 73 y were included. The outcomes were incidence of and mortality from cancer at 22 sites. Participants were categorized as normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9) or overweight (including obese, BMI ≥ 25) and as normal WC or centrally obese (WC ≥ 94 cm for men and ≥80 cm for women). Four mutually exclusive groups were derived: 1) normal weight without central obesity, 2) normal weight with central obesity, 3) overweight without central obesity, and 4) overweight with central obesity. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate HRs and 95% CIs. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 8.8 y. Compared with participants with normal weight and WC, men who were overweight and centrally obese had higher cancer incidence risk at 3 sites [stomach (HR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.33, 2.32; Padj = 0.002), kidney (HR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.17, 1.81; Padj = 0.016), and colorectal (HR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.17, 1.47; Padj < 0.001) cancer]. Similar associations were found at 4 sites in women [endometrial (HR: 2.48; 95% CI: 2.06, 2.98; Padj < 0.001), uterine (HR: 2.23; 95% CI: 1.89, 2.64; Padj < 0.001), kidney (HR: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.37, 2.46; Padj = 0.001), and breast (HR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.16, 1.32; Padj < 0.001) cancer] and for all-cause cancer (HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.10; Padj = 0.003). Only endometrial cancer mortality (HR: 3.28; 95% CI: 1.77, 6.07; Padj = 0.004) was significantly associated with being overweight and centrally obese. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of general and central obesity was associated with a higher risk at several cancer sites and some associations were sex-specific.

Associations between grip strength and incident type 2 diabetes: findings from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Grip strength has been associated with chronic diseases and mortality. However, current evidence of the association between grip strength and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of absolute and relative grip strength with incident T2DM and whether these associations differ by sociodemographic, lifestyle and adiposity-related factors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of 166 894 participants in the UK Biobank (mean age 56.5 years, 54.4% women). The outcome was T2DM incidence and the exposure was grip strength, expressed in absolute (kg) and relative (kg per kg of body weight) values. The association between grip strength and T2DM incidence was investigated using Cox-proportional regression. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 5.3 years (IQR: 4.7-6.1). During this time, 3713 participants developed T2DM. Lower grip strength was associated with a higher risk of T2DM in both sexes. Those in the lowest quintile of absolute grip strength had a 50% higher risk in men (HR: 1.50 (95% CI: 1.30 to 1.73)) and 25% higher risk in women (HR: 1.25 (95% CI: 1.06 to 1.47)) compared with those in the highest quintile. For relative grip strength, risk of diabetes was more than double for men (HR: 2.22 (95% CI: 1.84 to 2.67)) and 96% higher for women (HR: 1.96 (95% CI: 1.52 to 2.53)) in the lowest compared with highest quintiles. CONCLUSIONS: Grip strength is associated with a higher risk of T2DM incidence in both men and women independent of important confounding factors including age, deprivation, adiposity and lifestyle. However, the associations were stronger when grip strength is expressed relative to body weight, which could reflect the importance of muscle quality.

Skeletal Muscle and Metabolic Health: How Do We Increase Muscle Mass and Function in People with Type 2 Diabetes?

BACKGROUND: Whilst skeletal muscles' primary role is allowing movement, it has important metabolic roles, including in glycemic control. Indeed, evidence indicates that low muscle mass and function are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, highlighting its importance in the development of metabolic disease. METHODS: In this mini-review, we detail the evidence highlighting the importance of muscle in type 2 diabetes and the efficacy of resistance exercise in improving glycemic control alongside our approach to increase uptake of such exercise in people with type 2 diabetes. This summary is based in the authors' knowledge of the filed supplemented by a Pubmed search using the terms "muscle," "glycemic control," "HbA1c," "type 2 diabetes," and "resistance exercise." RESULTS: The main strategy to increases muscle mass is to perform resistance exercise and, although the quality of evidence is low, such exercise appears effective in reducing Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) in people with type 2 diabetes. However, to increase participation we need to improve our understanding of barriers and facilitators to such exercise. Current data indicate that barriers are similar to those reported for aerobic exercise, with additional resistance exercise specific barriers of looking to muscular, increase risk of cardiovascular event, having access to specialized equipment and knowledge of how to use it. CONCLUSIONS: The development of simple resistance exercises that can be performed anywhere, that use little or no equipment and are effective in reducing HbA1c will be, in our opinion, key to increasing the number of people with type 2 diabetes performing resistance exercise.

Laboratory performance on analysis of mandatory nutrients and preparation of nutrition labelling.

This study assessed the performance of 17 laboratories in Thailand in analysing mandatory nutrients in salted, fried broad bean and in using data to prepare nutrition labels. Nutrient levels in the test material, as robust mean (x(∗)) and robust standard deviation (s(∗)), were assigned in line with ISO 13528. Data obtained from the laboratories were statistically evaluated against these values. Laboratories with satisfactory, questionable and unsatisfactory results for each nutrient were identified based on robust z-score. Laboratories achieving satisfactory analytical results (z-score⩽2) were for lipid, 82%; protein, 85%; Na, 82%; Ca, 62%; Fe, 81%; ash, 70%; and moisture, 62%. Reference values for some nutrients in broad bean powder were developed using data from satisfactorily performing laboratories. Less than 20% of the laboratories demonstrated good performance in preparing nutrition labels. Common mistakes were the nutrition information format, estimation of serving size and serving(s) per package.