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Diabetes risk factors may be common among South Asians

Category: Diabetes

New research published in the journal Diabetes Care indicates that people of South Asian descent - Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian - may be at greater risk of type 2 diabetes compared to individuals from white European families. This study suggests that South Asians may benefit from blood testing for diabetes risk factors.

"We know type 2 diabetes is more common in South Asians compared to Europeans and is diagnosed at an earlier age. We are trying to explain reasons why this occurs beyond the well known risk factors of diet and physical activity," said lead researcher Samiul Mostafa.

In the new study, Mostafa and a research team from the University of Leicester evaluated the medical data of more than 1,300 South Asians and almost 4,700 Europeans. The information they collected included HbA1c scores, fasting plasma glucose levels and two-hour plasma glucose measurements.

Results showed that, compared to Europeans, South Asians had higher scores across the board. These effects were independent of traditional diabetes risk factors, such as obesity, blood pressure, gender and smoking status.

Individuals of South Asian descent may benefit from regular blood testing in order to determine their risk of type 2 diabetes.