Citation
Howard, Annie Green; Gordon-Larsen, Penny; Koehler, Elizabeth; Paynter, Lauren; Thompson, Amanda L.; Adair, Linda S.; Zhang, Bing; & Herring, Amy H. (2014). Eighteen Year Weight Trajectories and Metabolic Markers of Diabetes in Modernising China: Which Timescale Is Most Relevant? Reply to Vistisen D and Færch K [Letter]. Diabetologia, 57(12), 2607-2608. PMCID: PMC4221418Abstract
To the Editor: Vistisen and Færch [1] make an interesting point regarding the choice of timescale used to fit trajectory models. The authors assert that time since diagnosis would be the appropriate timescale when studying the aetiology of diabetes development or prognosis of diabetes, and we agree that this would be preferred. However, there are some practical issues for defining the appropriate time point of reference relative to diagnosis of disease in a population-based study, such as ours [2]. Examining trajectories up to the time of diagnosis would be ideal. However, it is hard to know the exact timing of diagnosis, since the collection of fasting blood and assays for cardiometabolic biomarkers were completed only in 2009 and therefore we have no data on comparable measures prior to 2009, which would be necessary to establish time of diagnosis. Data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) suggest that in this population the majority of diabetes is undiagnosed (over 50%) ...URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00125-014-3387-5Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2014Journal Title
DiabetologiaAuthor(s)
Howard, Annie GreenGordon-Larsen, Penny
Koehler, Elizabeth
Paynter, Lauren
Thompson, Amanda L.
Adair, Linda S.
Zhang, Bing
Herring, Amy H.