Does the Gut Influence Diabetes in Latinos?

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The human gut is a complex environment called a “microbiome.”

It is home to billions of bacteria and other microbes that help digest food.

Research now shows that the gut might play a role in development of type 2 diabetes, which afflicts Latinos at a 66% higher rate than Whites.

Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have received a five-year, nearly $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study if altering the gut microbiomes of Latinos can impact the treatment and prevention of diabetes, Yahoo! News reports.

The human gut microbiome represents a promising target for dietary changes and treatments aimed at combating type 2 diabetes—particularly in the Latino Latino population that disproportionately develops the disease, said Dr. Robert C. Kaplan, professor of epidemiology & population at Einstein.

“Our study will test the hypothesis that specific gut microbiome compositions are associated with pre-diabetes and diabetes,” Kaplan said.

Gut microbiomes can be affected by a variety of environmental factors, including food, medicines, and even the air.

The study aims to gather information about the microbiome composition of Latinos and determine how their “different makeups influence their risk of diabetes.”

The study will analyze 2,000 participants enrolled in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), the landmark research study of the diverse Latino population.

Also, the study will “look for associations between a person’s gut microbiome pattern and characteristics, including geographical/ancestral background (e.g., Mexican, Puerto Rican), gender, age and body mass index.”

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Healthcare Access

By The Numbers By The Numbers

25.1

percent

of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage

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