Associations between dynapenic abdominal obesity and diabetes in middle aged and older Chinese

Previous studies have shown that diabetes is linked to both low muscle strength and abdominal obesity. However, the combined relationship and synergistic effect on the risk of diabetes in middle-aged and elderly people are still unclear. Using nationally representative data collected between 2011 and 2020 by the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Dynapenic abdominal obesity was a measure that combined hand grip strength and waist circumference. 7934 participants aged ≥ 45 years were divided into four groups (neither dynapenia nor abdominal obesity, only dynapenia, only abdominal obesity, and dynapenic abdominal obesity). Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate the association of dynapenic abdominal obesity on diabetes. The reference group comprised participants with neither dynapenia nor abdominal obesity. Dynapenic abdominal obesity was associated with an increased risk of diabetes (HR = 1.52; 95%CI = 1.12–2.05). Only abdominal obesity group also had a higher risk of diabetes (HR = 1.54, 95%CI = 1.32–1.80), and only dynapenia was not statistically associated with the risk of diabetes (HR = 1.05, 95%CI = 0.80–1.39) and sensitivity analysis showed that the results were robust. Dynapenic abdominal obesity and only abdominal obesity might be associated with 52% and 54% higher risk of diabetes, while only dynapenia was not statistically associated with the risk of diabetes.