Omics Approach for Personalised Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus for African and European Populations (OPTIMA): a protocol paper
Journal article, 2025
Introduction The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) within sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasing. Despite the pathophysiology of T2D differing by ethnicity and sex, risk stratification and guidelines for the prevention of T2D are generic, relying on evidence from studies including predominantly Europeans. Accordingly, this study aims to develop ethnic-specific and sex-specific risk prediction models for the early detection of dysglycaemia (impaired glucose tolerance and T2D) to inform clinically feasible, culturally acceptable and cost-effective risk management and prevention strategies using dietary modification in SSA and European populations. Methods and analysis This multinational collaboration will include the prospective cohort data from two African cohorts, the Middle-Aged Soweto Cohort from South Africa and the Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants Prospective cohort from Ghana and migrants living in Europe, and a Swedish cohort, the Pre-Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study. Targeted proteomics, as well as targeted and untargeted metabolomics, will be performed at baseline to discover known and novel ethnic-specific and sex-specific biomarkers that predict incident dysglycaemia in the different longitudinal cohorts. Dietary patterns that explain maximum variation in the biomarker profiles and that associate with dysglycaemia will be identified in the SSA and European cohorts and used to build the prototypes for dietary interventions to prevent T2D. A comparative cost-effectiveness analysis of the dietary interventions will be estimated in the different populations. Finally, the perceptions of at-risk participants and healthcare providers regarding ethnic-specific and sex-specific dietary recommendations for the prevention of T2D will be assessed using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews in South Africa, Ghana, Germany (Ghanaian migrants) and Sweden. Ethics and dissemination Ethical clearance has been obtained from all participating sites. The study results will be disseminated at scientific conferences and in journal publications, and through community engagement events and diabetes organisations in the respective countries.
nutrition & dietetics
diabetes mellitus, type 2
health economics
preventive medicine
Author
Julia H. Goedecke
South African Medical Research Council
Umeå University
University of Witwatersrand
Ina Danquah
Umeå University
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
University of Bonn
Heidelberg University
Carol Akinyi Abidha
University of Bonn
Charles Agyemang
Amsterdam UMC
Johns Hopkins University
Hannah Maike Albers
University of Bonn
Stephen Amoah
University of Bonn
Carl Brunius
Chalmers, Life Sciences, Food and Nutrition Science
Elin Chorell
Umeå University
Fatima Hoosen
South African Medical Research Council
University of Cape Town
Melony Fortuin-de Smidt
Umeå University
Asa Hornsten
Umeå University
Therese Karlsson
University of Gothenburg
Lars Lindholm
Umeå University
Amy E. Mendham
University of Cape Town
Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN)
Lisa K. Micklesfield
University of Witwatersrand
Kaspar Walter Meili
Umeå University
Stefania Noerman
Chalmers, Life Sciences, Food and Nutrition Science
Julia Otten
Umeå University
Stefan Soderberg
Umeå University
Eva L. van der Linden
Amsterdam UMC
Clemens Wittenbecher
Chalmers, Life Sciences, Food and Nutrition Science
Rikard Landberg
University of Gothenburg
Tommy Olsson
Umeå University
BMJ Open
2044-6055 (ISSN) 20446055 (eISSN)
Vol. 15 4 e099108Omics approach for personalised prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus for African and European Populations, OPTIMA
VINNOVA (2022-00547), 2022-11-21 -- 2025-12-31.
Precision Prevention of Cardiometabolic Diseases Through Personalized Nutrition Guided by Metabolite Biomarker Signatures
Swedish Research Council (VR) (2022-00924), 2023-01-01 -- 2025-12-31.
Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Public Health, Global Health and Social Medicine
Endocrinology and Diabetes
DOI
10.1136/bmjopen-2025-099108
PubMed
40262963