The rapidly changing epidemiology of type 2 diabetes and its frequent companion obesity, doubling in thelast two decades, have disproportionately impacted Mexican Americans; a minority with already markedhealth disparity in these conditions owing to higher initial frequencies. Recognizing these disparities, theproposed Center of Excellence on Diabetes in Americans of Mexican Descent aims to conduct research onthe physiologic progression to diabetes and its complications among Mexican Americans, and to developdiabetes prevention strategies and test innovative approaches to effective interventions in a minoritypopulation severely affected by type 2 diabetes. This Center proposes an administrative core, a researchcore including three research projects and two pilot studies, a training core and a community engagementcore. The Center of Excellence Research Core is addressing this interaction in type 2 diabetes through threecoordinated projects with the goal of understanding and implementing interventions to slow the current rateof increase in the disease and its complications.This is one of the three projects of the research core and will focus on the transitions in glucose status fromnormal to pre-diabetes to overt diabetes. In 2001, we initiated the establishment of the Cameron CountyHispanic (Mexican American) Cohort as a complement to our two decades of work in Starr County, Texas.Prior to the start of this project we will have completed detailed physical evaluations on some 1,500individuals living in Brownsville located the US/Mexico border.
Our first aim i s to document changesproximal to the development of overt diabetes. While metabolic and inflammatory risk factors are known topredict the development of type 2 diabetes in the long term, little is known regarding these profiles at thetime of and immediately preceding the transition to overt disease. We will assess the impact of metabolicand inflammatory profiles and their regulation at the time of conversion and 3 and 6 months earlier byintensively following 300 individuals with pre-diabetes from our established cohort.
The second aim i s todetermine the consequences of transitions in glucose status on the mental health of individuals with diabetesand its interaction with socioeconomic status. As with the onset of diabetes, inflammatory processes are alsoassociated with deterioration in cognitive function. Further, stress and mental health can be affected bychanges in glucose control. Currently, there are inadequate data in these regards for Hispanics, in general,and specifically for Hispanics with type 2 diabetes. Changes in mental health are likely slower to develop, butby examining the full Cameron County Hispanic Cohort we will determine the contribution of diabetes statusto cognitive health

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Type
Exploratory Grants (P20)
Project #
2P20MD000170-06
Application #
7305019
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-DIG-B (52))
Project Start
2008-04-01
Project End
2013-02-28
Budget Start
2008-04-01
Budget End
2009-02-28
Support Year
6
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$362,554
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
Department
Type
DUNS #
800771594
City
Houston
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
77225
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Perales, Joseph; Reininger, Belinda M; Lee, MinJae et al. (2018) Participants' perceptions of interactions with community health workers who promote behavior change: a qualitative characterization from participants with normal, depressive and anxious mood states. Int J Equity Health 17:19
Rianon, Nahid; Ambrose, Catherine G; Buni, Maryam et al. (2018) Trabecular Bone Score Is a Valuable Addition to Bone Mineral Density for Bone Quality Assessment in Older Mexican American Women With Type 2 Diabetes. J Clin Densitom 21:355-359
Watt, Gordon P; Lee, Miryoung; Pan, Jen-Jung et al. (2018) High Prevalence of Hepatic Fibrosis, Measured by Elastography, in a Population-Based Study of Mexican Americans. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol :
Diniz, Breno S; Fisher-Hoch, Susan; McCormick, Joseph (2018) The association between insulin resistance, metabolic variables, and depressive symptoms in Mexican-American elderly: A population-based study. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 33:e294-e299
Heredia, Natalia I; Lee, MinJae; Mitchell-Bennett, Lisa et al. (2017) Tu Salud ¡Sí Cuenta! Your Health Matters! A Community-wide Campaign in a Hispanic Border Community in Texas. J Nutr Educ Behav 49:801-809.e1
Wu, Shenghui; McCormick, Joseph B; Curran, Joanne E et al. (2017) Transition from pre-diabetes to diabetes and predictors of risk in Mexican-Americans. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes 10:491-503
Gill, Clarence; Vatcheva, Kristina P; Pan, Jen-Jung et al. (2017) Frequency of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Subclinical Atherosclerosis Among Young Mexican Americans. Am J Cardiol 119:1717-1722
Heredia, Natalia I; Lee, MinJae; Reininger, Belinda M (2017) Exposure to a community-wide campaign is associated with physical activity and sedentary behavior among Hispanic adults on the Texas-Mexico border. BMC Public Health 17:883
Case, Kathleen R; Pérez, Adriana; Saxton, Debra L et al. (2016) Bullied Status and Physical Activity in Texas Adolescents. Health Educ Behav 43:313-20

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