_{26 July 2012}

Diabetes study finds differing sugar levels

A new diabetes study at the University of Leicester has discovered that South Asian people have higher levels of blood sugar than white Europeans.

The study involved 4,688 white Europeans and 1,352 South Asians, including people of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan origin.

Researchers found blood sugar levels in the South Asian group were higher before risk factors, such as obesity, blood pressure and smoking, were taken into account.

Dr Samiul Mostafa, a clinical research fellow in diabetes and endocrinology at the university's Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, said: "We are trying to explain reasons why this occurs beyond the well-known risk factors of diet and physical activity.

"Our study suggests the main measures of glucose used in diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes are all higher in South Asians independent of risk factors which cause diabetes such as obesity, blood pressure, smoking and gender.

"This may explain why diabetes diagnosis is higher in South Asians but more research is required."

The findings of the study have been published in Diabetes Care, a journal of the American Diabetes Association.

News item taken from the this is Leicestershire website.  For more information see the University of Leicester website and the Diabetes Care journal online.