13 April 2004

Establishing the diabetes-obesity link

Researchers from the Divisions of Medicine and Pathology & Neurosciences at the University of Dundee, are embarking on an exciting project at Ninewells Hospital, to put their finger on the exact link between obesity and the risk of developing diabetes.

"There has been much speculation about linking obesity to diabetes", explains Dr Dan Cuthbertson, "but at the University of Dundee we want to uncover the evidence and find out if there are certain stages of obesity which predispose you to diabetes or whether there are different levels of risk in different people."

Diabetes currently affects nearly 2 million people in the UK, and accounts for nearly 10% of NHS expenditure. Eight out of ten patients with Type 2 (non-insulin requiring) diabetes are obese. There is a close link between being excessively fat and getting diabetes. However, not all overweight people develop the disease. Ineffectiveness of insulin, or 'insulin resistance', occurs before Type 2 diabetes appears and can be accurately measured by looking at markers within the bloodstream and within muscle and fat tissue using a variety of research techniques.

The project will ask volunteers with varying body mass index (a measure of the amount of fat present on an individual) to be very closely examined for the presence of insulin resistance. In this way the team will determine the relationship between obesity and insulin resistance at the level of specific molecules needed for insulin to control blood glucose levels.

"This project will improve the understanding of why being overweight can lead to Type 2 diabetes in some but not all individuals. Importantly we want to be able to predict which people, particularly those who are overweight, will develop diabetes in the future. Then they can be targeted for prevention" says Dr Calum Sutherland, Senior Diabetes UK Research Fellow, leading the project. "Prevention is the most logical and effective way forward for combating the global epidemic of diabetes and its complications."

The three year project is part of a unique major collaboration between scientists and clinicians in Dundee, funded by the Chief Scientists Office at Scottish Executive, for a total of almost £170,000. The group are looking for volunteers to participate in the research. Those who are male, aged 18-35 years of age, overweight and WITHOUT known diabetes are invited to contact the team (£100 expenses are paid to those who take part). The recruitment of volunteers is co-ordinated by Dr Daniel Cuthbertson who can be contacted at Ninewells Hospital or e-mail daniel.cuthbertson1@btinternet.com for further details.

Further Details:

The Research Group consists of Dr Calum Sutherland, Dr Mike Murphy (Division of Pathology & Neurosciences), Professor Andrew Morris, Dr Dan Cuthbertson, and Dr John Petrie (Division of Medicine and Therapeutics), all based at the University of Dundee, Ninewells Medical School. For further information please contact Dr Petrie's secretary on 01382 632436.

By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk