Investigating Type-2 Diabetes Associated Gut Microbiome Diversity in Nepalese Population
Type-2 diabetes (T2D) has emerged as a global health challenge, affecting millions of people worldwide. Nepal bears a substantial T2D burden and it is a prominent cause of mortality in adults. Increasing urbanization and changing lifestyles have directly contributed to a surge in T2D cases in Nepal.
T2D is characterized by elevated blood glucose levels resulting from insufficient insulin production to effectively regulate glucose utilization in the body. It is a complex disease influenced by genetic and environmental factors, notably diet and physical activity. Consuming excessive amounts of refined sugars and processed foods increases the risk of developing T2D.
Geography and diet play a substantial role in shaping gut microbiome, which, in turn, is associated with T2D progression. While many investigations have focused on diabetic populations in Western nations, the gut microbiome of South Asian populations diverges notably from that of Western populations, largely due to differences in dietary composition. To comprehensively identify T2D-associated gut microbiomes, we propose investigating the diversity of gut microbiomes among the T2D population in Nepal, alongside leveraging publicly available T2D gut microbiome cohorts from different countries. Our study will help develop preventive and treatment strategies tailored to specific populations, mitigating health disparities in diabetes research.