Breast size linked to diabetes, study says

TORONTO, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- A Canadian health study suggested a link between a woman's breast size by age 20 and the development of type 2 diabetes as she matures.

A study appearing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal said an analysis beginning in 1989 found that 1,844 of 92,000 women participating in a breast-cancer research program developed adult-onset diabetes.

The study suggested breast size was an independent factor in diabetics when adjusted for body mass index, the CTV television network said Tuesday.

Researchers said adipose tissue in woman's breast is hormonally sensitive and likely to influence insulin resistance, leading to diabetes.

The leading scientists in the report cautioned the research is preliminary and further analysis may determine if breast reductions decrease the risk of diabetes.