ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Clinical Diabetes
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1494452
This article is part of the Research TopicWorld Diabetes Day 2024: Exploring Mechanisms, Innovations, and Holistic Approaches in Diabetes CareView all 10 articles
Body Composition Patterns Among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients Versus Nondiabetic Adults in Saudi Arabia
Provisionally accepted
Eman Alfadhli1,2*
Ishraq Darandari1,2Maha Altaweel1,2Sara Alharbi1,2Asma Jadw1,2Ghadi Aljohani1,2Sarah Mohammad1,2- 1College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madina, Al Madinah, Saudi Arabia
- 2Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
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To explore differences in body composition between individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and those without diabetes in Medina, Saudi Arabia, stratified by sex and age.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted at Taibah University, four primary care centers, and diabetes center in Medina, Saudi Arabia, from July to September 2023, involving 630 adults with and without T2DM. Body composition was assessed using a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), measuring weight, body mass index (BMI), total body fat, visceral fat (VF), muscle mass, and bone mass. Participants were grouped into three categories: young age (18–40 years), middle age (41–60 years), and older age (>60 years). Body composition differences between groups were analyzed using independent t-tests.Results:Of the 630 participants, 42.4% had T2DM. Among young women with T2DM, BMI, total body fat, VF, muscle mass, and bone mass were significantly higher (p < 0.001) compared to women without diabetes. However, their muscle and bone mass percentages were lower. In contrast, no significant differences were found between middle-aged women with and without T2DM. Among older women, those with T2DM had significantly higher BMI (p = 0.030) and VF (p = 0.007). For men, body composition differences were mostly non-significant across age groups, except for lower muscle mass percentage in young men with T2DM (p = 0.013).Conclusion:Sex- and age-specific differences in body composition exist between adults with and without T2DM. These findings highlight the importance of tailored strategies in T2DM prevention and management. Future research should examine underlying mechanisms and evaluate the impact of targeted interventions.
Keywords: type 2 diabetes mellitus, Body Composition, bioelectrical impedance analysis, Obesity, body fat, visceral fat
Received: 10 Sep 2024; Accepted: 26 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Alfadhli, Darandari, Altaweel, Alharbi, Jadw, Aljohani and Mohammad. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Eman Alfadhli, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Madina, Al Madinah, Saudi Arabia
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