Translation 2
PHENOEINDY-2
Source: Mohan V, et al. Diabetologia. 2024.
The Old Myth
Indians are high-risk because of obesity and poor lifestyle choices.
The Science
240 lean Indian diabetics (BMI <23) underwent DEXA scanning. Despite normal BMI, they showed: elevated visceral adipose tissue, reduced muscle mass, normal insulin sensitivity but beta-cell failure. The thin-fat phenotype — our bodies store fat viscerally even when lean.
The Zinda Takeaway
BMI is the wrong tool for South Asian risk assessment. Body composition (visceral fat, muscle mass) is what matters.
Clinical Context
This translation is part of the Zinda Research initiative to decode standard medical literature through the lens of South Asian biology. When evaluating patients of South Asian descent, standard population averages fail to capture the physiological realities of this phenotype.