Epidemiological Investigation of Type 2 Diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease in a Pakistani Population

Zarish Noreen, Jessica DeJesus, Attya Bhatti, Christopher A. Loffredo, Peter John, Jahangir S. Khan, Gail Nunlee-Bland and Somiranjan Ghosh
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Zarish Noreen: Department of Biology, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA
Jessica DeJesus: Departments of Oncology and of Biostatistics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
Attya Bhatti: Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Christopher A. Loffredo: Departments of Oncology and of Biostatistics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
Peter John: Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
Jahangir S. Khan: Department of Surgery, Rawalpindi Medical College, Rawalpindi, Punjab 46000, Pakistan
Gail Nunlee-Bland: Departments of Pediatrics and Child Health, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA
Somiranjan Ghosh: Department of Biology, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-10

Abstract: The epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the possibility of it contributing to the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have become important health concerns worldwide and in Pakistan, where the co-occurrence of T2DM and AD is becoming more frequent. To gain insights on this phenomenon, a cross-sectional study was initiated. We recruited and interviewed 820 research participants from four cities in Pakistan: 250 controls, 450 T2DM, 100 AD, and 20 with both diseases. Significant differences between groups were observed for age ( p < 0.0001), urban vs. rural locality ( p = 0.0472) and residing near industrial areas. The average HbA1c (%) level was 10.68 ± 2.34 in the T2DM group, and females had a lower level than males ( p = 0.003). In the AD group, significant relationships existed between education and family history. Overall, the results suggest that T2DM and AD were associated with both socio-demographic and environmental factors in Pakistani participants. Detailed molecular investigations are underway in our laboratory to decipher the differential genetic pathways of the two diseases to address their increasing prevalence in this developing nation.

Keywords: type 2 diabetes; Alzheimer’s disease; Pakistan; epidemiology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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