Joseph JJ, et al. – The link between modifiable lifestyle risk factors (exercise, diet, smoking, TV watching, and sleep–disordered breathing burden) and incident diabetes was investigated in a study population comprising African Americans (AAs). Findings demonstrated a relationship between a combination of modifiable lifestyle factors and a lower risk of diabetes among AAs, particularly among those without obesity.

Methods

• In the Jackson Heart Study, characterization was done of modifiable lifestyle risk factors among 3,252 AAs who were free of diabetes at baseline (2000–2004), using baseline questionnaires, and combined into risk factor categories: poor (0–3 points), average (4–7 points), and optimal (8–11 points).
• Using Poisson regression modeling adjusting for age, sex, education, occupation, systolic blood pressure, and BMI, incidence rate ratios (IRR) for diabetes (fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL, physician diagnosis, use of diabetes drugs, or glycosylated hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5%) were estimated.
• Furthermore, outcomes were collected 2005–2012 and data analyzed in 2016.

Results

• Findings demonstrated that over 7.6 years, there were 560 incident diabetes cases (mean age=53.3 years, 64% female).
• Researchers observed that an average or optimal compared to poor risk factor categorization was associated with a 21% (IRR=0.79, 95% CI=0.62, 0.99) and 31% (IRR=0.69, 95% CI=0.48, 1.01) lower risk of diabetes.
• They noted that among participants with BMI <30, IRRs for average or optimal compared to poor categorization were 0.60 (95% CI=0.40, 0.91) and 0.53 (95% CI=0.29, 0.97) versus 0.90 (95% CI=0.67, 1.21) and 0.83 (95% CI=0.51, 1.34) among participants with BMI ≥30.