Free-Living Physical Activity Energy Expenditure Is Strongly Related to Glucose Intolerance in Cameroonian Adults Independently of Obesity
- Felix K. Assah, MD1,
- Ulf Ekelund, PHD1,
- Soren Brage, PHD1,
- Jean Claude Mbanya, PHD2 and
- Nicholas J. Wareham, PHD1
- 1Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, U.K.
- 2Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde 1, Yaounde, Cameroon
- Corresponding author: Ulf Ekelund, ulf.ekelund{at}mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—We examined the cross-sectional association between objectively measured free-living physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and glucose tolerance in adult Cameroonians without known diabetes.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—PAEE was measured in 34 volunteers using the doubly labeled water method and indirect calorimetry (resting). Fasting blood glucose and 2-h postload blood glucose were measured during a standard 75-g oral glucose tolerance test.
RESULTS—There was a significant negative correlation between PAEE and 2-h glucose (r = −0.43; P = 0.01) but not fasting glucose (r = 0.1; P = 0.57). The inverse association between PAEE and 2-h glucose remained after adjustment for age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, and BMI (β = −0.017 [95% CI −0.033 to −0.002]) and was unchanged after further adjustment for waist circumference, body fat percentage, or aerobic fitness.
CONCLUSIONS—PAEE is inversely associated with 2-h glucose independently of adiposity or fitness. Interventions aimed at increasing PAEE could play an important role in diabetes prevention in developing countries.
Footnotes
-
Published ahead of print at http://care.diabetesjournals.org on 18 November 2008.
Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ for details.
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
-
- Accepted November 11, 2008.
- Received August 21, 2008.
- DIABETES CARE
