People
Sikh-Punjabis, South Asians:
Higher Risk of Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease Begins At Birth
ANDREA GORDON
Recent studies have shown that Sikh-Canadians of Punjabi origin and other South Asians have higher rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease than Caucasians.
Now, new research suggests the risks may begin at birth.
A study of 800 moms and newborns in the South Asian Birth Cohort Study (START) in Peel Region and Hamilton (Ontario, Canada) noted “intriguing differences in newborn body composition” such as more fat tissue and larger waist circumferences. Those factors are associated with higher risks of developing Type-2 Diabetes later in life.
“The take-away message is that South Asian babies have what we call an at-risk trait or phenotype already present at birth,” said Dr. Sonia Anand, principal investigator of the study and professor of medicine and epidemiology at McMaster University in Hamilton.
It also reinforces the need to regularly screen pregnant women for gestational diabetes and take preventive steps “to break the transmission among generations,” said Anand, who holds the Heart and Stroke Chair in population health research at McMaster’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.
The study, published online in the International Journal of Obesity, compared 400 South Asian pregnant women and their full-term babies from Peel Region and Hamilton with an equal number of Caucasians.
At the time of delivery, the South Asian mothers were smaller in stature and had higher blood sugar levels, a symptom of gestational diabetes or prediabetes, Anand said in an interview. While their newborns were significantly smaller than the other group, the babies had more “adipose” or fat tissue and larger waistlines.
“The increase we observed in fat tissue is clearly influenced by South Asian ethnicity, the mother’s body fat and high blood sugar levels,” said Anand.
She said it should alert physicians and the community to the importance of diabetes prevention by screening moms, helping women avoid excessive weight gain in pregnancy and promoting healthy eating habits and physical activity throughout early childhood.
The START cohort study is tracking the infants through age 3 to explore factors in infancy and childhood that contribute to development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, including looking at the role of breastfeeding versus formula. The group is also collaborating with researchers in India who are conducting similar studies of rural and urban children there to compare to those in Canada.
The study’s findings are consistent with earlier research showing that Sikh-Canadians and other South Asian adults living in Canada -- representing about 1 million people or 3 per cent of the population — are typically two to three times more at risk of developing diabetes or heart disease, Anand said.
“If babies are already showing some risk factors, then I think the prevention in South Asians will likely have to start earlier.”
[Courtesy: The Toronto Star. Edited for sikhchic.com]
October 2, 2015
Conversation about this article
1: Ujjagar Singh (Paris, France), October 02, 2015, 10:10 AM.
Re the image above: is that the Pope blessing the baby?
2: Dr Chattar Raj Singh (Canada), October 06, 2015, 12:04 AM.
While the study's findings are true, it's imperative to figure out whether genetics gets the blame or the environment! There is under-reported but well-documented research on Type 2 Diabetes and Cardio-vascular disease which proves that these are completely preventable and even reversible for the most part, most important factor being wholefoods plant-based nutrition. Genes are like a loaded gun but nutrition/environment are needed to pull the trigger for any affects, so more focus needs to be on education about the foods we eat, and Punjabis are big on dairy and oils, which are amongst the worse triggers. Please browse www.PCRM.ORG ( physicians committee for responsible medicine website) for some well rounded info.