Introduction: Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder and as such it no doubt affects the components of somatotype of diabetics. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the somatotype of males with type 2 diabetes. Patients and methods: In the study we assessed anthropometrically 169 male patients with type 2 diabetes. The patients were Bulgarian; they were allocated into two age groups: group 1 included 40-60-year-old patients and group 2 - 61-80-year olds. Healthy Bulgarian men without any history of metabolic, neoplastic, or other diseases were used as controls divided into age matched groups. Measurements obtained directly were height, body weight, biepicondylar breadth of humerus, biepicondylar breadth of femur, relaxed upper arm circumference, contracted upper arm circumference, forearm circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, thigh circumference, calf circumference. Skin folds: subscapular, over rib 10, suprailiac, over abdomen, triceps, biceps, forearm, thigh, calf. Calculated parameters: Heath-Carter anthropometric somatotype components. Results: Mean somatotype of 40-60-year-old male diabetics was endomorphic mesomorph (endo-mesomorph), (endo 5.03; meso 6.57; ecto 2.01). Mean somatotype 61-80-year-old diabetic males was endomorphic mesomorph (endo-mesomorph), (endo 4.14; meso 5.88; ecto 1.64). The between-age comparison showed the somatotype in both age groups of diabetic males to be endomorphic mesomorph. The mesomorphy was dominant, followed by endomorphy and ectomorphy was far behind. The differences in the ratings of the somatotype components were of high statistical significance (P < 0.001). The mesomorphy and endomorphy ratings in patients with type 2 diabetes aged 40-60 years were greater than those of patients aged 61-80 years with the difference reaching statistical significance (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Both age groups of male diabetics presented with endomorphic mesomorph somatotype. Mesomorphy was the highest, followed by endomorphy. Ectomorphy lagged substantially behind, leading to a shift in the somatoplot upward to mesomorphy and leftward to endomorphy. Unlike the findings of studies in foreign countries presenting markedly dominating endomorphy, in our study Bulgarian diabetic males presented with dominating mesomorphy. This can be regarded as a characteristic feature of Bulgarian diabetic patients. This could be accounted for by the role played by factors such as lifestyle, habits, environment, diet, methods of treatment, etc. The somatotype of Bulgarian diabetic males (endomorphic mesomorph) is more favourable with regard to the risk, course and prognosis of the disease.

INTRODUCTION: Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder and as such should affect the components of body composition of diabetics. The changes it induces in patients complement the anthropological characteristics of this disease. The AIM of the present study was to assess the effect type 2 diabetes has on some of the body composition components in male diabetics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 169 male patients with type 2 diabetes. All patients (ethnical Bulgarian) were allocated into two age groups: group 1 -patients aged 40-60 years and group 2 -patients aged 61-80 years. Direct measurements of parameters were performed with a Tanita body composition analyser. The bioimpedance parameters we measured were body fat percentage (%BF), total body water percentage (%ТВW), muscle mass (ММ), bone mass (BМ), and visceral fat (VF). The derived parameters were total body fat (ТBF) (kg), active body mass (АBМ) (kg), active body mass percentage. RESULTS: Body composition of male diabetics aged 40-60 years: %BF, VF and TBF were statistically signifi cantly higher in diabetics than in healthy controls. Body composition of male diabetic patients aged 61-80 years: BM and VF were signifi cantly higher in diabetic patients than in controls. %BF and MM did not have a high statistical signifi cance. Interage comparison of body composition in male diabetics: we found that %BF, %TBW, MM and BM tend to be higher in 40-60-year-olds. Visceral fat was increased in the 61-80-yearolds, the difference reaching high statistical signifi cance. CONCLUSION: Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) of body composition showed the total body fat in male diabetics of both age groups to be greater than that in controls. TBF was greater in the younger age group at the expense of the subcutaneous fat, while in the more elderly patients it was the visceral fat that was increased, which makes their body composition correlate rather adversely with the prognosis, course and outcome of the disease. The relative percentage of active body mass was greater in the healthy individuals than in diabetic patients. This parameter was higher in the younger age group of diabetic patients than in the more elderly patients; this fi nding is probably due to the longer duration of the disease and also to aging changes such as osteoporosis, muscle atrophy and decreased quantities of body water.

The AIM of the present study was to find and compare the correlations between somatotype and some anthropological parameters in Bulgarian male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Anthropometric measurements were taken from 165 male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. All patients were ethnic Bulgarians. They were divided into two age groups: a 40-60-year group (58 patients, mean age 52.05 ± 0.73 yrs), and a 61-80-year group (111 patients, mean age 68.02 ± 0.53 yrs). The controls were allocated into similar agematched groups. Direct anthropometric measurements were body height and weight, biepicondylar breadth of the humerus and biepicondylar breadth of the femur. Circumferential measurements were taken from the relaxed and contracted upper arm, the forearm, the waist, the hip, the thigh and the medial calf. Skin folds were measured below the inferior angle of the scapula, above the X rib, above the crista iliaca, at the abdomen, triceps brachii, forearm, thigh and the medial calf. The components of human somatotype according to the criteria of Heath-Carter, body mass index (ВМІ) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated. RESULTS: We found very strong positive correlations (РС > 0.70) between ВМI and the endomorphic and mesomorphic components of somatotype in 40-60-year-old male diabetic patients. The correlation between the endomorphic and mesomorphic components of somatotype and the anthropometric measurements characterizing the central accumulation of adipose tissue (waist circumference, hip circumference, WHR) was very strong positive (РС = 0.5-0.7). Male diabetic patients aged 61-80 years: we found a very strong positive correlation between endomorphic and mesomorphic components and ВМІ, a strong correlation between these components and the waist circumference, and a good correlation between the components and the circumferences of the waist and hip and WHR. CONCLUSIONS: In male patients with type 2 diabetes aged 40-60 years, the endomorphic and mesomorphic components of somatotype are strongly positively correlated with the parameters which characterize the total adipose tissue accumulation in the human body (ВМІ). There is a good positive correlation between the two components of somatotype and the parameters showing visceral adipose tissue accumulation (circumferences of waist, hip, thigh and WHR). In male patients with type 2 diabetes aged 61-80 years we found a strong positive correlation of the endomorphic and mesomorphic components of somatotype with BMI and a good positive correlation with the circumferences of the waist, hip, thigh and WHR.

The study aimed to investigate the correlations between some anthropometric and lipid profile parameters, as well the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values of Bulgarian females with type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM). 212 women of Bulgarian ethnicity with T2DM of the age groups 40-60 and 61-80 years were included in the research. The anthropometric parameters: waist and hip circumferences were measured, and body mass index (BMI) and waist/hip ratio (WHR) were calculated. We also studied the lipid profile parameters: total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). A comparative study of the lipid profile criteria revealed significant differences in the levels of triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol and VLDL between the two age groups. Differences were found with regard to the values of glycated hemoglobin too. Correlations between the above anthropometric parameters and the lipid profile of patients with T2DM were examined. In patients of the age group 40-60 years a moderate strength correlation in opposite direction (negative or inverse correlation) was found between HbA1c and BMI p<0.05). In the age group 61-80 years a low strength negative correlation was found between BMI and total cholesterol, as well as between BMI and LDL.

The mean somatotype of diabetic females aged 40-60 years is mesomoph-endomorph; it differs from the mesomorphic mesomorph somatotype of the control subjects, Endomorphy and mesomorphy dominate clearly, and ectomorphy significantly lags behind. This was the reason we get a distorted somatoplot with a sharp shift to endomorphy and mesomorhpy. The mean somatotype of diabetic women aged 60-80 years was endomorphic mesomorphy with the mesomorphy component leading. It differed from the somatotype of the controls, where mesomorphy and endomorphy scored equally (mesomorph-endomorph). The somatotype of female diabetics suggests that they have a relatively massive skeleton with well-developed muscles and greater body weight relative to height. Unlike the results of studies in other countries presenting with markedly dominating endomorphy, in our study the Bulgarian diabetic females presented with dominating mesomorphy. This can be regarded as a peculiarity of the Bulgarian diabetic patients. The somatotype of the Bulgarian diabetic females is more favorable on the risk, course and prognosis of the disease.