Study: Diabetics Diagnosed at a Normal Weight Die Sooner

About 12% of people with type 2 diabetes are at a normal weight when diagnosed. A new study finds that these diabetics are more than twice as likely to die early as others who are overweight. The finding surprised researchers. But overweight diabetics in the study were more likely to develop other health problems linked with poor control of the disease. Researchers combined the numbers from 5 long-term studies of diabetics. They included 2,600 people, all over age 40. During follow-up, about 450 people died. Researchers adjusted the numbers to account for other factors, such as smoking, that affect death risk. They found that death rates were 2.32 times as high among those who were not overweight when diagnosed. Researchers said they didn’t know why this group had higher death rates. They said it may be related to genes.