Doha, Qatar: A groundbreaking study has revealed that a new early assessment tool, the Pre-diabetes Risk Score in Qatar (PRISQ), may significantly impact the management of type 2 diabetes both in Qatar and internationally.
The research demonstrates that PRISQ, which was developed using clinical data from Qatar Biobank and relies solely on non-invasive parameters, accurately diagnoses pre-diabetes in more than 90% of individuals in a real-world clinical setting.
The study, titled “Real-world clinical validation of the Qatar pre-diabetes risk score: a cross-sectional study,” published in the BMJ Public Health journal, emphasizes that “PRISQ stands as a powerful solution, providing a rapid and cost-effective pre-diabetes diagnosis through exclusively non-invasive parameters.”
Pre-diabetes, characterized by blood sugar levels higher than normal but not yet high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, is a significant independent risk factor. Individuals with pre-diabetes are at an elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those with normal blood sugar levels. Effective management of pre-diabetes through lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, can often prevent or delay the progression to type 2 diabetes, underscoring the importance of early intervention.
In Qatar, 25% of adults have pre-diabetes, and approximately 42% of pregnant women experience gestational diabetes. Obesity is a significant risk factor for gestational diabetes and related pregnancy complications. Additionally, around 3% of adults in Qatar have undiagnosed diabetes.
Given the high prevalence of pre-diabetes, researchers developed PRISQ using data from 6,000 Qatari individuals in the Qatar Biobank. PRISQ calculates a risk score for pre-diabetes based on non-invasive factors such as age, gender, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and blood pressure. PRISQ performs with 80% accuracy and 86% sensitivity.
To validate PRISQ for potential use in primary healthcare settings, researchers Narjiss Sallahi, Abduljaleel Abdullatif Zainel, Mohamed Ahmed Syed from the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), and Abdelilah Arredouani from the Qatar Biomedical and Research Institute conducted a study to ensure its reliability, robustness, and accuracy in real-world medical contexts.
A total of 1,021 walk-in participants from three PHCC health centers were recruited for the study. A hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test was conducted to confirm pre-diabetes. Participants’ gender, weight, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, nationality, smoking status, and family history of diabetes were recorded to calculate the PRISQ.
Among the study participants, 797 agreed to the HbA1c test, with 21.9% identified as having pre-diabetes and 3.3% having undiagnosed diabetes. Using a PRISQ cut-off of 16, the tool’s sensitivity exceeded 90% in all subgroups of individuals aged 40 and above, regardless of ethnicity. The study found no significant improvement in PRISQ sensitivity when considering a family history of diabetes.
The study concludes that “PRISQ stands as a powerful solution, providing a rapid and cost-effective pre-diabetes diagnosis through exclusively non-invasive parameters. Tailored for population screening in primary healthcare centers, its applicability transcends Qatar, holding the promise to globally address the type 2 diabetes crisis. The implementation of PRISQ in primary healthcare centers is not just beneficial; it is imperative for proactive healthcare, offering relief to healthcare systems grappling with the diabetes epidemic.”
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