Type 2 Diabetes Risk for South Asians Kicks Off Immediately at Birth

Type 2 diabetes and heart diseases are a growing health problem for people of South Asian descent. A new study has revealed that the risks of developing type 2 diabetes for South Asians begins immediately at birth. The study findings are significant because it suggests that South Asian women who minimize their risk of gestational diabetes and avoid excessive weight gain in pregnancy may help to prevent diabetes in their own children.

Sonia Anand, principal investigator from McMaster University, said, "South Asian pregnant women should be considered high risk for gestational diabetes and routinely screened in pregnancy. Prevention may be an important way to break the transmission among generations. The increase they observed in fat tissue is clearly influenced by South Asian ethnicity, the mother's body fat and high blood sugar levels."

Study investigator Milan Gupta said, "In addition, the research re-emphasizes the importance of diabetes prevention efforts in South Asians from very early childhood onward, in order to reduce the eventual burden of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in South Asian adults."

Source-ANI