Doha: The Qatar Diabetes Prevention Programme (QDPP), the region’s largest diabetes research project, will re-start recruitment of subjects in early 2021.
The five-year programme is funded by Qatar Foundation’s Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) and co-funded by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).
QDPP will be conducted by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) led by the Qatar Metabolic Institute (QMI) of the Academic Health System (AHS).
“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, QNRF has suspended most clinical trials; as it was not possible to recruit subjects during the pandemic. We plan to lift suspension in December 2020 and launch QDPP in January 2021,” Director of the Qatar Metabolic Institute (QMI), Chairman of Internal Medicine at HMC, and Director of the QDPP, Professor Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, told The Peninsula.
QDPP is a research program aiming at discovery of the most effective preventive method for development of type 2 diabetes in Qatar. QDPP will be conducted by HMC and led by the Qatar QMI of the Academic Health System (AHS).
“This will include four clinical trials. One aiming at preventing progression from pre-diabetes to type 2 diabetes; the second trial aims at preventing recurrence of gestational diabetes and its progression to type 2 diabetes; the third clinical trial aims at reversal of recently developed type 2 diabetes, and the 4th trail aims at an early intervention with adults intending marriage to prevent development of gestational diabetes during the first pregnancy,” said Professor Abou-Samra.
Diabetes is one of the most pressing health conditions in Qatar.
Individuals between 18 and 60 years of age who are at high risk for diabetes such as having pre-diabetes or a history of gestational diabetes; and those who are newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (less than five years), are eligible to participate in the programme.
“At present 17 to 20 percent of adult population in Qatar have diabetes and 20-25 percent have pre-diabetes.
“If we are able to prevent or reverse the course of diabetes in Qatar, it will have a major impact on the population health and the economy of Qatar,” said Professor Abou-Samra.
The flagship research program is the result of a multi-institutional research collaboration between healthcare, education, and research organizations.
The research program aims to identify the best methods to predict, prevent, and reverse type 2 diabetes.
