Impact of body fat percentage change on future diabetes in subjects with normal glucose tolerance

The aim of the work was to determine the effect of body fat change on risk of diabetes in normal glucose tolerance (NGT) population. A total of 1,857 NGT subjects were included and followed up for an average period of 44.57 months. Body fat percentage (BF%) was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Subjects were grouped based on the BF% and/or body mass index (BMI) state. Among all subjects, 28 developed diabetes after follow‐up. Compared with subjects with stable normal BF% (control), subjects who became obesity at follow‐up were defects in insulin secretion and had a higher risk of developing diabetes (7.102, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.740–28.993), while no difference in diabetic risk could be viewed between subjects with abnormal BF% at baseline but normal at the end of follow‐up and control subjects after adjustment of confounding factors. Moreover, compared with those keeping normal BF% and BMI both at baseline and follow‐up, subjects who had normal BMI at baseline and follow‐up, but abnormal BF% at baseline or/and follow‐up still had a higher risk to develop diabetes (4.790, 95% CI 1.061–21.621), while those with normal BF% at baseline and follow‐up, but abnormal BMI at baseline or/and follow‐up had not. Subjects from normal BF% at baseline to obese at follow‐up are associated with an increased risk of diabetes. Maintaining normal body fat is more relevant than BMI in preventing diabetes. © 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(12):947–955, 2017