Apollo ties up with Stanford for diabetes study in South Asia

Apollo Hospitals has inked a memorandum of understanding with Stanford University to conduct a study on the causes associated with cardiovascular risk among diabetic and pre-diabetic people in the South Asia region.

Conceptualised with the overall objective to reduce cardiovascular mortality in the region, the study will capture data on pre-diabetes and insulin resistance, help physicians understand early patterns of glycemic imbalance and achieve targeted lifestyle and medical therapy, said a statement issued by Apollo Hospitals.  

"The collaboration will at a later stage look at moving towards a larger Framingham-type study that was developed with the objective of identifying common factors or characteristics contributing to chronic vascular diseases in Massachusetts," the statement said.

Studies have indicated that people in the South Asia region have four times higher rate of myocardial infraction (MI) and 40 per cent higher rate of mortality after the first MI.

A World Health Organisation report states that there could be over 100 million diabetics by 2030 and people in South Asia will have 60 per cent higher diabetes (DM) rates than in the US.