Insulin sensitivity lower in adults born preterm

Middle-aged adults who were born preterm, even moderately preterm (32 to 36 weeks’ gestation), are less insulin sensitive compared with adults who were born at term, according to research published in the October issue of Diabetes.

Sarah Mathai, M.D., of the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and colleagues conducted a study involving 52 adults aged 34 to 38 years (31 had been born preterm) and 61 of their children (37 born of preterm parents) to evaluate whether there is a relationship between insulin sensitivity and β-cell function in adults born preterm and their children.

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