The New Majority: houston's minority news reader

$500,000 Methodist Grant To Study Obesity And Diabetes Among New Majority Latinos: Denver Harbor is target area By Ami Felker

Houston Endowment Inc. has committed $500,000 over the next three years to The Methodist Hospital in support of an outreach project that will focus on the obesity and diabetes epidemic among Houston's Hispanic population.

"We're truly grateful to the Houston Endowment for serving as the first major contributor to this project," said Dr. Richard J. Robbins, Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Methodist and principal investigator of the 10-year interventional study.

"We don't propose to simply collect important research data-we will determine best practices, optimal treatments and the most effective interventions for diabetes and obesity in this population."

Denver Harbor Clinic, which serves a largely Hispanic neighborhood of 28,000 located east of downtown Houston, will serve as the site of the obesity/diabetes education, prevention and treatment project.

Seventeen Methodist medical residents currently support Denver Harbor Clinic, which also receives funding and other in-kind support from Methodist's Community Benefits program. To accommodate the residents and support the growing demand for medical care, Denver Harbor is building 10 new exam rooms, which will more than double patient visits.

"Over the past two years, Denver Harbor Clinic and Methodist have forged a significant relationship, making a difference in the lives of thousands of patients," said Daniel Montez, CEO of Denver Harbor Clinic. "This research project is a critical public health initiative, and we are excited about the opportunities it will provide our patients and the community-at-large."

The Houston community reflects national trends for obesity and diabetes, and prevalence is especially high among underserved populations, including Hispanics. Diabetes, and the often underlying condition of obesity, is more than 40 percent higher among Hispanics and one of the five leading causes of early death in that population.

"Addressing the health care needs of our community, especially the underserved, is of the utmost importance to our foundation's philanthropic efforts," said Larry R. Faulkner, Ph.D., President of Houston Endowment Inc. "We are very pleased to support this study, and look forward to improved health outcomes in this population."

Two groups of patients will participate in the study. Obese adolescents, ages 13 to 19, who will be selected for their desire to make lifestyle changes resulting in weight loss and to prevent the development of diabetes. A second group of older diabetics, ages 50 to 69, will participate to diminish the chances of heart attack and stroke. Members of both groups will be randomized, and take part in one of three types of treatment: standard care combined with advice regarding exercise and weight loss; standard care with lifestyle interventions and more aggressive weight loss assistance; and standard care with lifestyle interventions and medication for obesity and diabetes.

In both groups, researchers will analyze risk based on each individual's molecular fingerprint, using genomics and proteomics, and will monitor the effectiveness of the research protocols. All patients will receive free annual evaluations for the duration of their participation in the study, along with free education, prevention and medication, depending on their randomization. Researchers will document the incidence and prevalence of insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, strokes and atherosclerosis, as well as overall survival.