Having short thighs is associated with a greater risk of insulin resistance or diabetes, researchers say.

A team at Johns Hopkins University has been looking at data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Study, which covers 8,738 black, white and Hispanic men and women. They measured the participants' upper leg length and correlated this with rates of glucose intolerance and diabetes.

They found that on average, those with normal glucose tolerance had a thigh length of 40.2 centimeters, compared to 39.1 centimeters among those with impaired glucose tolerance, and 38.3 centimeters for those who had diabetes. The link between shorter thighs and diabetes was most pronounced for white women and Mexican-American women. Glucose intolerance is a condition that often precedes diabetes.

The researchers think that thigh length is a good marker of growth in the womb and during childhood and is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Clearly, in some groups, this affects susceptibility to disease in later life.

Source

American Heart Association Conference 7th March 2003