Research
The Norfolk Diabetes Case-Control Study
More than a million people in the UK have type 2 diabetes and the number is rising sharply. Genes play an important role in the development of diabetes, although the mechanisms for this are not well understood. The Norfolk Diabetes Case Control Study will help to identify genetic factors linked to type 2 diabetes and its complications. The study aims to contribute to a better understanding of how diabetes develops and how it can be prevented and treated better.
The study completed recruitment at the end of 2009. Over 7,000 people in Norfolk with type 2 diabetes volunteered to take part and provided a small blood sample. Genetic analyses involve the comparison of these samples to those from people living in Norfolk who do not have diabetes. Results from the study help to uncover small differences in people's genetic code that may be involved in causing diabetes and related conditions. The study has already contributed to several high-impact scientific publications and news items.
The Norfolk Diabetes Case-Control Study also aims to identify genetic factors that contribute to the development of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes. This work involves collaboration with researchers at the University of East Anglia investigating diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness among people with diabetes.
This work is funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Wellcome Trust in collaboration with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Norfolk. It also receives support from NHS Research and Development and the Eastern England Diabetes Local Research Network.
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