Poor lower extremity function was associated with pre-diabetes and diabetes in older chinese people

PLoS One. 2014 Dec 22;9(12):e115883. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115883. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether a relationship exists between performance-based physical assessments and pre-diabetes/diabetes in an older Chinese population.

Methods: Our study population comprised 976 subjects (mean ± SD age: 67.6±6.0 years; 44.5% men) from the Hangu area of Tianjin, China. Diabetes was defined by self-reporting of a physician's diagnosis, or a fasting plasma glucose level ≥126 mg/dL; and pre-diabetes was defined as a fasting plasma glucose level ≥100 mg/dL and <126 mg/dL.

Results: When all other variables were adjusted for, men needing longer to finish a Timed Up and Go Test and a decreased usual walking speed had higher odds of pre-diabetes (P for trend = 0.007 and 0.008, respectively) and diabetes (P for trend = 0.012 and 0.014, respectively). However, women needing longer to finish the test and a decreased usual walking speed had a higher odds of diabetes (P for trend = 0.020 and 0.034, respectively) but not of pre-diabetes. There was no apparent association between grip strength and pre-diabetes/diabetes in both sexes.

Conclusions: In this study, poor lower extremity function was associated with pre-diabetes/diabetes in older people.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • China / epidemiology
  • Diabetes Mellitus / epidemiology
  • Diabetes Mellitus / physiopathology*
  • Female
  • Glucose Intolerance*
  • Glucose Tolerance Test
  • Humans
  • Lower Extremity / physiopathology*
  • Male
  • Prediabetic State / epidemiology
  • Prediabetic State / physiopathology*
  • Psychomotor Performance
  • Risk Factors

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grant (81372118) from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (QG), and grant (20120130) from the Tianjin City High School Science & Technology Fund Planning Project (QG). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.