July 17, 2020
$10 gene test could save on repeat diabetes screening
University of Auckland and Liggins Institute researchers say a simple gene test could cut down the number of invasive diabetes tests done on hapū Māori and Pasifika women.
Rinki Murphy from the university's medical school says the presence of the gene variant 'CREBRF' commonly found in people of Māori or Pacific ancestry indicates a much lower risk of developing gestational diabetes.
It can be picked up with a $10 test, which would free up resources for women who are more likely to develop the disease – as well as relieve some of the stress felt by expecting mums.
"Women feel blamed for a lot of things and particularly women who are larger tend to be picked out for repeated screenings for metabolic complications like diabetes and it makes the whole process more stressful than it should be," she says.
Associate Professor Murphy says the researcher are looking for a correlation between the gene and the birth size and growth rate of Māori and Pasifika babies.
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