Diabetes Risk Clusters Within Households, Study Finds

Adults and children living in the same household share a greater risk of developing diabetes, according to a study scheduled to be presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting. Researchers analyzed electronic health records of 356,626 adult patients with prediabetes, finding that nearly two-thirds of adult household members and one-third of children had at least one diabetes risk factor. The most common risk factor was overweight/obesity, present in 54.9% of adults and 34.1% of children.

Key Takeaways:

• A study of 356,626 adult patients with prediabetes found that 51.8% lived in multiresident households, where more than 75% of household members had additional diabetes risk factors.
• Among household members, diabetes risk factors were identified in nearly two-thirds of adults (64.6%) and one-third of children (35.0%).
• The most common diabetes risk factor present among household members was overweight/obesity, affecting 54.9% of adult and 34.1% of child household members.
• Among adult household members, dysglycemia was present in 32.3%, with 20.3% having prediabetes lab results and 12% showing evidence of diabetes.
• The study suggests that a data-driven approach to identifying people at high risk for diabetes could allow health systems to tailor prevention messaging and programs to entire households instead of just individuals.

Statistics:

• 51.8% of patients with prediabetes lived in multiresident households.
• 75% of multiresident households had at least one household member with additional diabetes risk factors.
• 64.6% of adult household members had at least one diabetes risk factor.
• 35.0% of child household members had at least one diabetes risk factor.
• 64.6% of adult household members had overweight/obesity as the most common diabetes risk factor.
• 34.1% of child household members had overweight/obesity as the most common diabetes risk factor.
• 32.3% of adult household members had dysglycemia.
• 20.3% of adult household members had prediabetes lab results.
• 12% of adult household members had evidence of diabetes.

Sources:

• HealthDay News
• European Association for the Study of Diabetes
• Stanford University

*"Tainayah Thomas, Ph.D., M.P.H., from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, and colleagues"

*"This strategy could allow health systems to identify and tailor diabetes prevention messaging and programs to entire households instead of just individuals."

*"all health systems could use this approach as a data-driven strategy to better and more systematically identify people at high risk for diabetes"