Information
on Diabetes

By Pippa B. Wysong
Between 60 and 95 per cent of
diabetes cases are environmentally
caused and can be prevented, a
recent international study claims.

The international group of
researchers, Diabetes Epidemiology
Research International (DERI), says
that most studies of Diabetes focus
on genetic causes but more emphasis
should be given to environmental
factors such as pollution, diet and
geographical location.

Dr. Jean-Marie Ekoe, visiting
professor of Epidemiology at the
University of Montreal, was a
participant in the group, which he
says is ‘‘trying to warn people not to
forget that there are other factors
than genetic factors’? which cause
diabetes. Researchers.need to start
looking at ways to prevent the
disease rather than concentrating
only on cures, he says.

The study shows that there is a
wide geographical variance in the
occurrence of diabetes and that the
incidence is increasing in some
countries at rates that probably
don’t reflect genetic factors.
Diabetes researchers should take the
approach used by cancer researchers

and study environmental as well as
genetic factors, DERI says.

People who move from one
country to another may increase or
decrease their risk for developing
diabetes, the study says, For
instance, French children who live in
Canada are twice as likely to
develop diabetes as are French
children in France. Jewish children
in Montreal have a risk of diabetes
three times greater than that of
Jewish children in Israel. Out of
100,000 people, the risk per year for
diabetes is 3.7 in France, 4.3 in
Israel, and 9 in Canada.

Finland has the largest. incidence
of diabetes: 28.6 people per 100,000
a year. Japan has the lowest, .08 per
100,000 a year, while the U.S. is in
the middle at 14.2.

A dramatic increase in diabetes
occurred in Poland between 1979
and 1982, the researchers found.
During those three years the
incidence almost doubled—from 3.6
to 6.6 per 100,000. The researchers
feel that such an increase, in such a
short time, could not be due to
genetic factors.

In Scandinavian countries, where
the rates for diabetes are quite high,

reseachers have already started to
focus on possible environmental
factors, says Dr. Ekoe. In Finland
they are trying ‘‘very hard to see if
there is anything in the air which is
responsible for the high incidence of
diabetes,’’ Dr. Ekoe says. ‘‘They
have the highest incidence and
prevalence.”’

On average, only two to five per
cent of people who are genetically
prone are likely to develop the
disease. (Less than two per cent of
people who are not genetically prone
will develop diabetes.) So close to 95
per cent of genetically prone people
don’t develop diabetes. With such a
small number of  genetically-
susceptible people actually
developing diabetes, genetics may
not be the main cause.

Reseachers who contributed to
the international study estimate that
60 to 95 per cent of diabetes is
preventible and may be due to
something in the environment. Dr.
Ekoe stresses that the point is that
not enough attention has been paid
to environmental causes; further
studies are needed to help verify
DERI’s conclusion, he says.

(Canadian Science News)

 

 

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