The researchers analyzed data on more than 30,500 Swedes born between 1945 and 1961. The information included body mass index at 8 and 20 years of age, as well as when the pubertal growth spurt began, a period when boys start gaining height very quickly, usually two years after the onset of puberty. The participants in the study had their pubertal growth spurt, on average, around the age of 14, give or take a few months. Data on the health status of these men was collected up to 2016.
An analysis of the information collected showed that men who began their pubertal growth spurt very early (ages 9–13) were about twice as likely to develop early type 2 diabetes (under age 57) as those who whom such a jump occurred relatively late, in the period from 15 to 18 years. At the same time, the earlier puberty began, the higher the risk of early diabetes in adulthood, and vice versa, the later the growth spurt occurred, the lower this risk, regardless of the body mass index in childhood.
"The findings suggest that early puberty may be a new independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes in men," said study co-author Jenny Kindblom. “According to our calculations, 15% of men would not have been diagnosed with diabetes if they had not experienced early puberty.” Although the biological reasons underlying the association between early puberty and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes are not yet clear, Kindblom hypothesized that more abdominal fat is deposited in early puberty. It is well known that such abdominal fat, which accumulates in and around the internal organs, is a risk factor for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.
