Ora’anga Kōpapa Metabolic (Metabolic Health)
‘Ea’a te maki metabolic? (What is a metabolic disease?)
Ko te maki Metabolic, ‘e au mea māriko’anga kore teia tei tāmanamanatā ‘i to tatou metabolism, koia ‘oki, ko te tu’anga ‘uri’anga ‘i tā tatou kai ki roto ‘i te tūranga ririnui tangata. Ko tēta’i ‘ākara’anga, mē ma’ata roa te tuka ‘i roto ‘i tō tātou toto, nō te toto vene. Ko tēta’i atu au ‘ākara’anga, ko te toto kake, te maki kino ‘ō te katu i’i, ‘ē te maki kauti.
Metabolic diseases are disorders that disrupt our metabolism, which is the process of converting our food into energy. One example is when we have too much sugar in the blood from diabetes. Some other examples include high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease and gout.
‘Ea’a ka manatā ‘ia ei? (Why does it matter?)
Tē viviki nei te kake ‘ō te toto-vene tū-2, ‘ē te matū ki runga, ‘ē tē riro nei ‘ei ‘akatupu ‘i te manamanatā ma’ata nō te ora’anga tangata ‘i Aotearo’a. Kua kitea’ia ē, ‘ē riro ana te toto-vene ‘ei ‘akaviviki atu ‘i te ‘akatere ‘i te ma’ata’anga ‘ō tēta’i au maki, ‘inārā, kāre i pāpū ē, ‘i ‘akapē’ea tikāi ēta’i ‘i teia au tauī’anga ‘i roto ‘i tō tatou metabolism, ‘i te kāpiti’anga ki te matū, toto-vene ‘ē te maki puku’atu.
The rate of type 2 diabetes is increasing hand-in-hand with obesity and poses a major health problem in Aotearoa. Diabetes is known to accelerate many other disease processes, however it is still unclear exactly how some of these changes in our metabolism are associated with obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
‘Aka’āite atu ki tēta’i au ‘iti tangata kē, ko te au tangata Māori ‘ē te Patipika tei tū’ia, ‘ē tē no’o nei e teia maki toto-vene Tū-2 ‘i Aotearo’a, kua ‘ōronga’ia te vairākau kāre e meitaki te maki, mē kore ra, kāre tākiri e vairākau ‘i ‘ōronga’ia ana. Ko tā mātou kimikimi’anga, ka ‘akameitaki atu teia ‘i te au tūranga tau-kore, nā roto ‘i te kimi’anga atu ‘i te au tu’anga rapakau’anga meitaki rava atu, nō te au tangata tūkētūkē.
Compared to other ethnic groups, Māori and Pacific Peoples living with Type 2 diabetes in Aotearoa are either prescribed less effective medication or no medication at all. Our research aims to improve these inequities by finding out what the best treatment options are for different people.
‘Ea’a tā te Maurice Wilkins Centre ‘ē rave nei, nō te tā atu ‘anga ‘i te au maki metabolic? (What does the Maurice Wilkins Centre do to combat metabolic diseases?)
Kua kitea mai e te aronga kimikimi ‘ā Maurice Wilkins Centre ē, ko te au ‘iti tangata mei te Māori ‘ē te Patipika, tē ‘apai nei rātou ‘i te ‘apainga teia’a ‘ō teia au manamanatā o te ora’anga kōpapa, ‘ē ka anoano’ia teia au pupu kia piri putuputu, ‘ē kia tukuna’ia ki runga rava, ‘i roto ‘i teia teretere’anga. Nā roto ‘i te tuku’anga ‘i te ‘iti-tangata Māori ‘ē te Patipika ki rotopū ‘i te ‘akateretere’anga o teia kimikimi’anga, ka parāni mātou ‘i te ‘akatūkē ‘i te ara tā mātou ‘i mārama nō runga ‘i teia au manamanatā, nā roto ‘i te tā’anga’anga ‘anga ‘i tēta’i au rāvenga ‘ōu, ‘ei ‘akapiri atu ki te au taka’inga ‘ō te matakeinanga. Nā roto ‘i te tā’anga’anga ‘anga ‘i te au ririnui tei ‘akapapa takere’ia, ko te porokarāmu kimikimi ‘ā te Maurice Wilkins Centre, ‘i roto ‘i te toto-vene ‘ē tēta’i atu au tūranga maki metabolic, ka ‘akatano te kimi ‘i te rāvenga ‘ōu, nō te rapakau tano nō te toto-vene, te au tā’ī’ī, ‘ē tēta’i atu au maki metabolic, mei te maki kauti.
Maurice Wilkins Centre researchers realise that certain populations such as Māori and Pacific carry the burden of these health issues and that these groups need active involvement and prioritisation in this journey. By centralising Māori and Pacific people in the research process we plan to diversify the way in which we understand these problems by using innovative solutions to engage with all layers of the community. Utilising the strengths already in place, the Maurice Wilkins Centre research program in diabetes and other metabolic conditions aims to identify pathways to new, equitable treatments for diabetes, its associated complications and other metabolic diseases such as gout.