A STUDY aiming to redress underrepresentation of Asian communities in health research is seeking participants from Berkshire.
The Genes and Health Study is examining higher rates of serious diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and mental health conditions in people with Asian backgrounds and possible links between their genetic makeup and health.
The study, supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, is looking for British Bangladeshi and Pakistani participants in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire.
People in those groups are severely underrepresented in genetic research, meaning that they may not benefit from research discoveries and new treatments.
The study will help researchers to analyse genetic differences in British Bangladeshi and Pakistani people compared to other groups, understand how these may lead to certain diseases, and examine if new tests and treatments work equally well for everyone
It also aims to contribute to the development of new drug treatments that are safe and effective for British Bangladeshi and British Pakistani people and build better tools to predict who is at risk of certain diseases.
The study has already made important discoveries, including the identification of genetic factors specific to South Asian people that leads to earlier type 2 diabetes onset.
It has also found that certain medications given to people after they have had a heart attack to prevent further problems may not be effective, leading to a change in how these drugs are prescribed.
The study aims to recruit 100,000 people living in England by the end of 2028.
More than 65,000 have participated in the last 10 years, including in Bradford, London, Manchester, and the West Midlands.
British Bangladeshi and British Pakistani people aged 16 and over are asked to provide a small saliva sample at participating GP practices and hospitals–including in Reading and Wokingham– as well as complete a short questionnaire about their health and agree for Genes & Health to securely link to their NHS health data.
Dr James Kennard, the Primary Care Settings Lead for the NIHR Research Delivery Network in the region, said: “NIHR is keen to address health inequalities, ensuring health and social care research represents all members of the British population.
We are proud to be supporting recruitment to the Genes & Health study and its mission to improve outcomes for British Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities. I encourage eligible individuals to take part, as their contribution will help develop medical care for their communities in important conditions including diabetes, mental health, heart disease and cancer.”
Dr Nadeem Ahmed, a GP and the study Principal Investigator at Melrose Surgery, Reading, Berkshire, said: “Genes and Health is a great opportunity for our local Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities to contribute to research and to help make a difference to health outcomes of their future generations.
“It is a simple test that can make a huge difference–I would request everyone from the above ethnic groups to participate, just like some 65,000 people, who have already participated in the other parts of the country.”
Volunteers will be asked to give their consent to be contacted again and some may be invited to take part in further studies based on information from their samples and NHS data.
Participants can withdraw at any time and samples and information are kept separate from personal details, such as name and contact details.
Genes & Health keeps all information and samples securely and follows the highest standards of data security.
People who want to take part can contact: elgh@qmul.ac.uk
People can also sign up online and be sent a saliva kit to complete at home and return using a freepost envelope–more information is available via: genesandhealth.org/join
