SUNDAY 16 DECEMBER, 2018 – UWI TODAY
13
70
th
ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE
RESEARCH
– ISSUE ARCHIVE JANUARY 2011
Metabolic Syndrome is a widespread syndrome
with a
prevalence of 25% in the developed world and a surprisingly
higher (and increasing) prevalence in developing countries.
In 2007, the Diabetes Education Research and Prevention
Institute (DERPi), was established through a $5million
grant from Helen Bhagwansingh, to research the disease
and determine early preventative measures. The results of
the DERPi Project research were presented on Tuesday 18th
January at the Daaga Auditorium, UWI.
Obesity, said Professor Surujpal Teelucksingh, is the
common factor in a range of diseases linked to theMetabolic
Syndrome. Obesity underlies most cases of diabetes, high
blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardio-vascular diseases
– part of the Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases for
which the Caribbean has some of the highest incidences
in the world. Indeed, said Prof Teelucksingh, we lead the
regional figures for diabetics. Citing pioneering work
done by Dr Theo Poon King more than 50 years ago, Prof
Teelucksingh established the relationship between unhealthy
lifestyles, urban living, and childhood obesity with the onset
of what was once adult diabetes in the local population of
youngsters.
This project was aimed at providing information
about diabetes in children and adolescents in primary
and secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago. This is the
first study of this nature and magnitude to be conducted
in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. Many of the
deaths caused by the Metabolic Syndrome can be prevented
by improving early detection, and prevention of diabetes in
childhood is likely to be more cost effective than treating
complications that accrue from the undiagnosed or under-
treated disease. Earlier recognition will add many years of
quality of life.
The cross-sectional survey was performed among
67,000 school children aged 5-17 years in Trinidad during
2009 for urine glucose. It was determined that in testing
every 100,000 children, 10 children with type 2 diabetes and
19 childrenwith difficulty in handling ingested glucose, were
detected. As many of these children signalled undiagnosed
type 2 diabetes in the family, DERPi proposed to intervene
on all familymembers in the household, who were willing to
participate in a family-oriented, school/community-based
intervention.
DERPi’s intervention focused on the promotion
of healthy eating behaviour, physical activity, diabetic
education and the creation of a suitable environment for
the acquisition of the knowledge, skills and attitudes to
understand and address chronic disease.
Under the supervision of Prof Teelucksingh and Dr
Brian Cockburn, PhD candidate, Ms Yvonne Batson, has
been integral to this work, moving the project from the
initial survey to working with schools to address lifestyle
changes.
Speaking to an audience which included theMinister of
Education, Dr TimGopeesingh, Mrs Helen Bhagwansingh,
Prof Teelucksingh made the case for funds to be allocated
towards prevention and early detection of diabetes, as this
was roughly a third of the cost of treatment.
Obesity underlies most cases of diabetes, high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, cardio-vascular diseases
“The cross-sectional survey was performed among 67,000 school children
aged 5-17 years in Trinidad during 2009 for urine glucose.”
He also predicted that depression (a feature of the
Metabolic Syndrome) was going to assume epidemic-
like proportions in the near future, and that this further
underscored the urgencywithwhich attention and fundsmust
be directed towards these diseases.
ThemembersoftheBoardofDirectorsofthiscollaboration
betweenTheUWI and the private sector areProfessor Surujpal
Teelucksingh, Dr. Rohan Maharaj, Dr. David Rampersad
(Secretary) Mr. Vishnu Ramlogan (Chairman, Finance),
Dr. Brian Cockburn (Treasurer), Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie
(Chairman), and a representative of the Medical Board of
Trinidad and Tobago
The DERPi Trust was established to “operationalize”
existingknowledgeon the treatment andpreventionof diabetes
into effective, immediate interventions. It is expected that
this will help prevent the potentially exponential increase in
cases of Diabetes in Trinidad and Tobago through a series of
interventions andprojects aimed at education andprevention,
most of which will be community based. The idea to use the
funding for a school-based diabetes screening project actually
came fromDr Cockburn, a keen researcher himself.
The Trust supports research to increase knowledge about
the disease in the local context. The research agenda has been
built uponwork by researchers in several Faculties atTheUWI
as well as by those operating in the field who have already
made significant inroads and discoveries on their own such
as the identification of the “Slippery Slipper Syndrome” the
“Ticking Thumbtack Sign” and a new subtype of Diabetes,
MODY Type 4.
Children now facing
ADULTTYPE
DIABETES
