Somatotype characteristics of male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

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.

Somatotype characteristics of normal-weight and obese women among different metabolic subtypes

“…Hi gher values of endomorphy were reported in metabo lic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and breast cancer (1013). Baltadjiev found that the diabetic indi viduals mostly present with endomorphic mesomorph or mesomorphendomorph somatotype, pointing also to age, gender, and population dependent somato type differences (14,15). Our results showed higher values of endomorphy and mesomorphy and lower values of ectomorphy in overweight subjects.…”

Body composition of lean women with polycystic ovary syndrome

“…While type 2 diabetes mellitus sufferers were generally classified as overweight and obese with central body fat distribution pattern, diabetic women with a mean somatotype ratio of 8.6-6.4-0.2 had significantly higher endomorphic values than controls (p<0.05) (Buffa et al 2007a). In contrast, Bulgarian diabetic females were predominantly mesomorphic, and Baltadjiev AG (2012) considers that this somatotype group possesses advantages in diabetic risk and prognosis (Baltadjiev AG 2012). Women Alzheimer patients with mean somatotype ratio of 7.0-5.3-0.7 were less mesomorphic and more ectomorphic than the controls who registered 7.7-6.3-0.4.…”

Body composition and basal metabolic rate in Hidradenitis Suppurativa: a Danish population‐based and hospital‐based cross‐sectional study

“…24 Somatotyping (body shape) and body composition (distribution of fat and fat free mass) are complementary and overlapping characteristics of body physique. Somatotyping could be a valuable instrument in public health used both as a medical predictive tool 11,12 as well as a predictive tool in sports as the type of training should be planned differently depending on the somatotype, and certain sport types are associated with certain somatotypes. 25,26 Based on the information provided by our study, it could be speculated that HS is associated with the endomorphic somatotype, which was described by Sheldon as round and soft with under-developed muscles and having difficulty losing weight.…”

“…Studies have shown that abdominal obesity predicts cardiovascular risk in a higher degree than BMI . Moreover, the meso‐ and endomorphic somatotypes appear to constitute a risk for some chronic diseases …”

“…10 Moreover, the meso-and endomorphic somatotypes appear to constitute a risk for some chronic diseases. 11,12 A complementary tool to assess the metabolism underlying body composition is basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is an expression of the resting metabolism, and is closely related to obesity. 7,13,14 So far, obesity in HS has been described as BMI or waist circumference.…”