Diabetes risk score translation “a breakthrough in support to the South Asian community”
A risk score to identify people who are likely to develop Type 2 diabetes has been translated into two further languages.
The part NIHR-funded Leicester Risk Score enables people to find out their risk of developing the condition and is recommended by health watchdog NICE, used by Diabetes UK and has attracted more than 1.1 million online users.
Gujarati and Bangladeshi versions were officially launched at Leicester Diabetes Centre in Gwendolen Road, Leicester on Friday, January 27. They will now be used in minority communities across the East Midlands in the fight against Type 2 diabetes.
Professor Kamlesh Khunti, Director of NIHR CLAHRC East Midlands and Professor of Primary Care Diabetes & Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester spoke at the launch. The packed event was attended by the National Clinical Director for Obesity and Diabetes Professor Jonathan Valabhji.
Professor Melanie Davies CBE, Professor of Diabetes Medicine at the University of Leicester and co-founder of the Leicester Diabetes Centre, gave a presentation, while Leicester East MP Keith Vaz, who is the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Diabetes, also addressed delegates.
Professor Khunti, fellow co-founder of the Leicester Diabetes Centre, said:
“This is a breakthrough in delivering support to the South Asian community in the fight against Type 2 diabetes.
“The condition is more common in South Asians because of their lifestyle in terms of their diet and lower physical activity levels combined with their potentially increased genetic risk.”
Members of the South Asian community are now being urged to make use of the risk score to find out how likely they are to develop the condition – or to see if they already have it. Professor Khunti added:
“It’s important people know how likely they are to develop the condition as they can make lifestyle changes to halt the progress.”
Data based on age, sex, BMI, ethnicity, family history and use of blood pressure drugs are used to identify people who may be at high risk of Type 2 diabetes or are currently undiagnosed. Further versions in Urdu and Gurmukhi Panjabi due out soon.
The project to translate the risk score was part funded by the National Institute for Health Research’s Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (NIHR CLAHRC) East Midlands.
NIHR CLAHRC East Midlands is a partnership of regional health services, universities and industry which turns research into cost-saving and high-quality care through cutting-edge innovation.
The work has been supported by the Centre for BME Health East Midlands, which is working to reduce ethnic health inequality in the region by sharing resources and promoting research.
Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition where the body cannot keep blood glucose levels within a healthy range and can cause devastating complications.
Notes to editors
For further details email oliver.jelley@ojpr.co.uk or call 07803 003811 or 01604 882342.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR is the research arm of the NHS. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research. The NIHR plays a key role in the Government’s strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world. For further information, visit http://www.nihr.ac.uk.
CLAHRC East Midlands is a partnership of regional health services, universities and industry which turns research into cost-saving and high-quality care through cutting-edge innovation. For further information, visit http://www.clahrc-em.nihr.ac.uk/