Friday, October 12, 2007

White Kids More Prone To Diabetes



When the subject of diabetes is referred, white kids are said to be more prone to the dealty disease; claiming this, a new population-based study shows that type 1 diabetes is more prevalent in white kids than those of other races.

According to this study:-

• White kids were more susceptible to type 1 diabetes.

• Among Hispanic and Asian kids, its prevalence was lower but just slightly.

• Kids between 10 to 14 were comparatively more susceptible to type 1 diabetes.

• From gender point of view, girls were found more prone to diabetes than boys.

• Constantly, prevalence of type 2 diabetes among kids was found increasing.

• Prevalence of type 2 diabetes was more in American Indian between the group

After reading these facts, severity of the situation can easily be estimated. Well, it is nice to know that there has not been seen much rise in diabetes among kids but to take the fact, which states that around 15,000 kids are engulfed with type 1 diabetes every year, taking it as granted won’t be right.

Actually, diabetes is turning out to be quite a serious problem, which is fast raising its hood round the mammoth world, taking kids under its clutches. Well, a high percentage of experts, believes that quick rise in obesity among kids is one the of the basic causes behind increase in type 1 diabetes among children. More brood is the fact that type 2 diabetes, which is normally associated with adults has fast started foraying into kids too all over the world.

On this base, it won’t be wrong to say that relevant and strong measures are required to be taken; otherwise days are not far away when diabetes would appear as a common health problem among white kids, turning their lives into a hell.

Scientists : Identification of new genes linked to diabetes


Scientists claim that they had identified various new genes linked to the most common form of diabetes in a major synergetic effort.

The findings were presented in three reports by university scientists and one by a private company, provide great insight into the role played by genes in the disease that intangles 170 million people worldwide into its web.

They identified at least eight genes that are clear diabetes risk factors - including three previously obscure ones - and several other contingent risk assumptions that merit further attention. All are commonly seen in the general population.

They hope the findings can help guide development of new drugs to treat type 2 diabetes, previously known as adult-onset diabetes, and genetic tests to determine a person’s predisposition for developing it.

The findings are based on a new research technique called genome-wide association studies, in which scientists compare genetic samples from thousands of individuals with a specific illness to those without it. Differences between the two are examined as possible genetic causes of the disease.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. It is a leading cause of heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and amputations.

The variant genes found so far account for only 2 percent to 20 percent of the overall risk of diabetes, implying there are many more to be found. The present genes are not sufficient to distinguish reliably between people at low or high risk for diabetes.

The findings by four international teams of researchers, published on Thursday in the journals Science and Nature Genetics.


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