Introduction: Obesity is a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) as well as its associated metabolic complications. Central obesity, characterized by an increased visceral fat area (VFA), is contributed to the development of T2DM. However, the relationship between VFA and HbA1c is not particularly clear.
Methods: A total of 3173 patients with T2DM participated in the study at the Metabolic Management Center (MMC), with anthropometric and biochemical measurements recorded. To examine the association between HbA1c and VFA, fitting curves were plotted, facilitating a comprehensive observation of their relationship.
Results: HbA1c was inversely associated with VFA (β − 1.79, 95% CI − 2.34~− 1.24, P < 0.001). The fitted curve shows that VFA increased with the increase of HbA1c when it was less than 8.62%. When it was greater than 8.62%, VFA decreased as HbA1c increased. Using linear inflection point analysis, we found that its inflection point interval falls within 8.36%~8.88%.
Conclusion: VFA was positively associated with HbA1c in individuals with T2DM. Furthermore, the relationship between the two variables was an inverted U-shaped association.
Keywords: HbA1c, obesity, diabetes mellitus