A new study at the Wolfson Institute of Population Health is investigating health inequalities in the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes among Black African, Caribbean, and certain South Asian populations. With a £3 million grant from the Wellcome Trust as part of a larger £4.9 million initiative, researchers at Queen Mary University of London will conduct two large-scale studies over eight years.
One study will focus on a cohort of Black African and Caribbean patients with type 2 diabetes, while the other will use continuous glucose monitors to analyse blood sugar levels in existing research participants without diabetes.
The NHS currently relies on the HbA1c test for diabetes diagnosis and monitoring, but genetic differences in certain groups can affect test accuracy, potentially leading to delayed diagnosis and faster disease progression. By seeking to understand individual blood sugar levels more accurately, researchers hope to improve the precision of type 2 diabetes diagnosis and monitoring, ensuring that affected individuals receive optimal care and treatment. Professor Sarah Finer, leading the project, emphasises the importance of reliable diagnosis and monitoring for delivering high-quality clinical care to all individuals at risk of or living with type 2 diabetes. Given that approximately five million people in the UK have diabetes, with disproportionate impacts on African-Caribbean and South Asian communities, prompt and accurate diagnosis is crucial for initiating appropriate treatment and mitigating the risks of diabetes-related complications.