(HealthDay)—Functional decline and physical disability may increase the subsequent risk of diabetes in older adults, according to research published online Feb. 18 in Diabetes Care.

Barbara H. Bardenheier, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues conducted an observational study of 22,878 adults aged 51 years or older who did not have diabetes at baseline. Disability status was assessed at baseline, and at follow-up, participants reported on disability status and diagnosis of diabetes by a doctor.