Study Finds Diabetes Risk in South Asian Adults

Research shows South Asian adults in the US face metabolic diabetes risk even with normal body mass index.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Diabetes

Study Finds Diabetes Risk in South Asian Adults

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The MASALA study examined metabolic and cardiovascular health among South Asian adults in the United States and found elevated diabetes and prediabetes rates. A follow-up of 481 participants over five years found that 32% experienced worsening blood sugar levels.

Why it matters

Diabetes risk among South Asians can go undetected when relying on body mass index alone, since their risk is tied to lower muscle mass, higher insulin resistance, and excess visceral and liver fat. Understanding these patterns may help guide screening for people across the United States with South Asian ancestry.

Diabetes prevalence was 38% among Chennai participants and 24% among US Indian participants, while prediabetes affected 33% of US Indians and 24% of Chennai participants. Among 481 South Asian adults followed for five years, 32% experienced worsening blood sugar, and the extraction does not report how these outcomes compare with other ethnic groups.

The players

MASALA study

The Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America study is a research program examining cardiovascular and metabolic health among South Asian adults in the United States.

The details

Researchers followed 481 South Asian adults over five years to track changes in blood sugar and compared diabetes and prediabetes rates between Indians living in Chennai and Indians living in the United States. Visceral fat and high blood pressure were associated with progression of worsening blood sugar.

Blood sugar changes were tracked over a five-year period in the MASALA follow-up study.

Health Landscape

The MASALA study has tracked metabolic and cardiovascular health among South Asian adults in the United States, and this report extends that work by showing diabetes risk persists despite normal body mass index. The findings suggest that standard weight-based screening may miss a substantial share of at-risk South Asian adults.

Adults of South Asian ancestry should ask their clinicians about blood sugar testing even if their body mass index is within the normal range. Discussing family history and waist size with a doctor may help identify early metabolic changes.

The takeaway

Normal body mass index does not rule out diabetes risk for South Asian adults, so blood sugar checks should not depend on weight alone. Regular screening can catch early changes before they progress.