London Dec 19 (IANS) Men and women who are not active socially and remain isolated may be at an increased risk of developing diabetes than individuals with larger social networks a study has found.
The findings showed that a lack of social participation was associated with 60 per cent higher odds of pre-diabetes and 112 per cent higher odds of Type 2 diabetes in women compared to those with normal glucose metabolism.
Men who lack social participation in clubs and groups had a 42 per cent higher risk of Type 2 diabetes while those living alone had 94 per cent higher risk.
"The study is the first to determine the association of a broad range of social network characteristics -- such as social support network size or type of relationships -- with different stages of Type 2 diabetes " said lead author Stephanie Brinkhues from the Maastricht University Medical Centre in the Netherlands.
"As men living alone seem to be at a higher risk for the development of type 2 diabetes they should become recognised as a high risk group in health care. Social network size and participation in social activities may eventually be used as indicators of diabetes risk " added co-author Miranda Schram from the varsity.
For the study published in the journal BMC Public Health the team involved 2 861 men and women aged 40 to 75 years.
Early changes in glucose metabolism may cause non-specific complaints such as tiredness and feeling unwell which may explain why individuals limit their social participation.
Promoting social integration and participation may be a promising target in prevention strategies for type 2 diabetes the researchers suggested.
"Our findings support the idea that resolving social isolation may help prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes " Brinkhues added.
--IANS
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