PLOS Science Wednesday: Hi reddit, we’re Nick, Jenna and Fumiaki, and we
contributed research to the new PLOS Medicine special issue on diabetes
prevention – Ask Us Anything!
Abstract
Hi Reddit, My name is Nick Wareham and I am Director of the MRC
Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge. My research focuses on
the genetic and environmental determinants of type 2 diabetes and the
translation of epidemiological knowledge into preventive action. I also
served as a guest editor on the PLOS Medicine special issue on Diabetes
Prevention. I also wrote the editorial entitled “ ‘The Clinical and
Public Health Challenges of Diabetes Prevention: A Search for
Sustainable Solutions” in which we discuss how diabetes is driven by
rapid economic development and how attempts to deal with a public health
problem by clinical approaches to prevention will be unaffordable and
unsustainable in many countries. We focus on the need to develop
effective and sustainable public health interventions for the prevention
of type 2 diabetes that can be implemented in both resource-rich and
resource-poor health care systems. I am joined by Fumiaki Imamura and
Jenna Panter, two scientists at the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the
University of Cambridge, who also contributed research to the Diabetes
Prevention issue of PLOS Medicine. Jenna is a Senior Research Associate
in the MRC Epidemiology Unit. Her research focuses on examining patterns
and determinants of change in physical activity and evaluating
environmental and policy interventions to promote activity. Jenna
recently published an article titled ‘Cycling and Diabetes Prevention:
Practice-Based Evidence for Public Health Action’ in PLOS Medicine in
which the authors discuss the findings from a linked paper by Rasmussen
and colleagues on changes in cycling and risk of developing type 2
diabetes. In the article, the authors highlight the need to conduct
rigorous evaluations of interventions to promote physical activity which
will provide evidence about how researchers can create a genuinely
population-based public health strategy for the prevention of diabetes
and other chronic diseases. Fumiaki is a Senior Investigator Scientist
at the MRC Epidemiology Unit. His research focuses on effects of dietary
components and behaviours with a risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Fumiaki recently published a study titled “Effects of Saturated Fat,
Polyunsaturated Fat, Monounsaturated Fat, and Carbohydrate on
Glucose-Insulin Homeostasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of
Randomised Controlled Feeding Trials” in PLOS Medicine. I am also a
co-author of a study published by the EPIC-InterAct Study in the PLOS
Medicine, ““Association of Plasma Phospholipid n-3 and n-6
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids with Type 2 Diabetes: The EPIC-InterAct
Case-Cohort Study”. In the two studies based on published trials and
the Europe-wide observational investigation, respectively, Fumiaki and
colleagues indicate that fat commonly present in vegetable oils is good
to reduce the burden of type 2 diabetes in many countries. We will be
answering your questions at 1pm ET – Ask Us Anything! Don’t forget to
follow us on Twitter @JennaPanter, @fumimamu and @mrc_epid.