Prevention of type II diabetes
- Name
- Professor Nick Wareham
- Address
- MRC Epidemiology Unit
Elsie Widdowson Laboratories
120 Fulbourn Road - Postcode
- CB1 9NL
- Telephone
- 01223 330315
- [email protected]
- Host Institution
- MRC Epidemiology Unit
The Research Group will focus on prevention of type 2 diabetes and aimed at developing proposals for projects that can be submitted to funders within 18 months. This group will build on the existing strengths of the applicants and the on-going collaborations between them. The DPP and Finnish DPS trials show that type 2 diabetes can be prevented.
The major unresolved issues are how this potential can be translated into pragmatic approaches that are feasible and effective. The key uncertainties relate to how to identify individuals and population sub-groups who are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, the appropriate integration of pharmacological and lifestyle approaches to prevention, and how to develop strategies for balancing individually-focused prevention efforts with more population-level interventions.
The Research Group will develop study proposals based on their existing population studies that address these issues. The development of preventive interventions targeting individuals will be informed by the Research Group's ongoing work to improve understanding of the key determinants of the major lifestyle factors, dietary and physical activity behaviour. A critical uncertainty is whether early intervention in people at risk of diabetes not only reduces progression to frank diabetes but also impacts on cardiovascular outcomes. We propose to develop a project proposal to address this issue.
Our Research Group is intentionally small to keep it cohesive and focused. However, our respective groups are well connected to collaborators whose diverse expertise will be relevant to the projects proposed and we will add additional members to the writing group as required.
Membership
- Professor Nick Wareham - MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge
- Dr Simon Griffin - MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge
- Professor Graham Hitman - Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London
- Professor Melanie Davies - University of Leicester
- Dr Kamlesh Khunti - Clinical Senior Lecturer, Department of Health Sciences, Division of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Leicester
- Dr Philip Evans - Peninsula Medical School, Exeter
- Professor Mark Walker - Newcastle upon Tyne and Freeman Hospital, Newcastle