Bradford’s diabetes epidemic and what’s being accomplished to deal with it

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DURING Diabetes Week, which runs through Sunday, the University of Bradford will raise awareness of the condition.

Bradford County has the highest rate of diabetes in the UK, with more than one in ten residents of the county diagnosed as diabetic – 11 percent – and many more diagnosed as prediabetes or undiagnosed.

The University of Bradford is currently conducting a number of cutting-edge research projects on diabetes and what can be done to help people with the condition.

There are three main types of diabetes; Type 1 is caused by a lack of insulin production in the pancreas, type 2 is caused by poor diet, overweight or obesity and too little exercise, while gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women.

It is in this third form that Professor Anne Graham is leading a consortium of clinicians, scientists and researchers to find out how better to predict which women will have babies that are larger than usual for their gestational age, and takes advantage of the groundbreaking Born in Bradford program.

Women who develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy are at a much higher risk of having very large babies, which may require early delivery or a cesarean section.

The rate of gestational diabetes is increasing worldwide and widespread in Bradford, and predicting who is at greatest risk can help identify the safest method of delivery earlier.

Dr. Liz Breen, Director of the Digital Health Enterprise Zone, said, “The advancement of diabetes prevention, screening, diagnosis and patient support is central to our Bradford people.

“Researchers within the DHEZ will work in collaboration with our NHS, specialist and business colleagues to develop and deliver digital health solutions to support diabetes care.”

While gestational diabetes usually goes away after birth, mothers and their children are at greater risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular problems.

Dr. Donald Whitelaw, advisor on diabetes in endocrinology at Bradford Royal Infirmary, added: “Each year, about 500 women in Bradford are affected by diabetes during pregnancy and there is a risk of serious harm to mothers and their babies.

“Preventing and reducing these risks are important goals to keep the population healthy.”

Dr. Kirsten Riches-Suman from the University of Bradford also studied the effects of type 2 diabetes on the heart and blood vessels.

With her specialist knowledge, she discovered that the building blocks of blood vessels in type 2 diabetics behave differently, aging them prematurely and increasing the risk of blockages. It can take up to a decade to resolve the problem.

This underlines, said Dr. Riches-Suman, Why It Is Important To Get An Early Diagnosis Of Prediabetes To Improve Heart Health In Patients.

Alisah Hussain, PhD student working on the project, said, “Growing up in Bradford brought me to be part of this cutting-edge research into longer term approaches to early diagnosis and personalized medicine.

“With the internationally recognized know-how and facilities of the university, we can help our local community not only now, but also for future generations.”