New research led by Kelli Ryckman, assistant professor of epidemiology, shows that lower birth weight is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes in white and black postmenopausal women in the U.S.

“Our findings confirm what we’ve seen with other studies in that low birth weight is a risk factor for later life type 2 diabetes,” says Ryckman. “What was unique about our study is that it was a large cohort of postmenopausal women who were very diverse in ethnicity and race.”