BackGenetics could help diagnose type-1 diabetes in Indians: Report
The two types of diabetics require different treatment, type one requires life-long insulin shots while type two requires control of diet and use of tablets
PremiumNEW DELHI : Genetic risk score could help in diagnosing the risk of type 1 diabetics in Indians, which has been found by researchers at researchers at the KEM Hospital and Research Centre, Pune; CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad; and the University of Exeter in England and the outcome has been published in Scientific Reports.
A genetic risk score is something which takes into account all the genetic information which has been known to increase chances of an individual developing the condition. Developed by the University of Exeter, the score is used at the time of diagnosis to find if someone has type-1 diabetes.
It has been a general belief that children and adolescents get type-1 diabetes and people who are slightly older get type-2. However in recent times it has been seen that age has had little or no bearing on the type of diabetes one gets.
The two types of diabetes require different treatment, type one requires life-long insulin shots while type 2 requires control of diet and use of tablets. Mismanagement or wrong diagnosis can have major effect on the health of the person who has diabetes if proper care is not taken care of. The study is important in that context.
“Diagnosing the right diabetes type is an increasingly difficult challenge for clinicians, as we now know that type 1 diabetes can occur at any age. This task is even harder in India, as more cases of type 2 diabetes occur in people with low BMI. We now know that our genetic risk score is an effective tool for Indians, and can help get people on the treatment they need to avoid life-threatening complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis and to achieve the best health outcomes", said Dr Richard Oram, of the University of Exeter Medical School.
Even though based on European data, researchers have found it effective for Indians. The test can be further improved to tailor to Indian population after the researchers found genetic differences between European and Indian populations.
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