Research
InterAct
The number of people with type 2 diabetes is rising in European populations. There is, therefore, a need to understand the causes of the condition and develop strategies to prevent it.
There is great variation in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes from place to place which suggests that an interaction between genes and lifestyles is central to a person's risk of developing diabetes. The number of people with type 2 diabetes is lowest in rural areas of developing countries and is highest in certain ethnic groups who follow western lifestyles.
InterAct is a large study with 24,000 participants from eight European countries. The overall goal of the InterAct project is to study how genetic and lifestyle factors, particularly diet and physical activity, interact in the development of type 2 diabetes. It also aims to use these findings to devise new strategies to prevent type 2 diabetes.
Nick Wareham is the overall co-ordinator of InterAct and the project is run from Cambridge through the Unit's EU Projects Office.
For more information on InterAct visit their website at www.inter-act.eu.
