A new grant will support researchers screening for Type 1 diabetes in Indiana.
The Indiana University School of Medicine will use the $1.1 million gift to study genetic samples from Indiana’s BioBank to better understand risk factors for developing the autoimmune condition. People living with Type 1 diabetes cannot produce insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels.
“While a family history of Type 1 diabetes increases risk, the disease often appears without a family history, so we want to screen beyond that population,” said the project’s lead investigator, Emily Sims, a physician scientist at the IU Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases.
About 12% of Hoosiers had Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes in 2021, according to the Indiana Department of Health. Black people and those with lower incomes are disproportionately affected by the condition, which can lead to complications such as heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
Researchers want to identify cases sooner to connect children and adults with treatment options. The grant also will support IU’s early-stages diabetes clinic, which helps people who are at risk or recently diagnosed learn about the condition and get connected to care.
Mirror Indy reporter Mary Claire Molloy covers health. Reach her at 317-721-7648 or email maryclaire.molloy@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @mcmolloy7.
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