Tuaga he taviliaga he tau mena kai (Metabolic Health)

Ko e heigoa e gagao ha ko e taviliaga he tau mena kai? (What is a metabolic disease?)

Ko e tau gagao ka moua mai ha kua fai lekua ke he  taviliaga he tau mena kai, ko e puhala ke liliu e tau mena kai ke moua e tau malolō.  Fakatai tuga e tokoluga e suka ke he tino ha ko e gagao suka.  Falu gagao tuga e toto tokoluga, gagao fua ifi moe gugu.

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.

Ko e hā ne mahuiga ai e tau mena nai? (Why does it matter?)

Kitia ki ai kua holo hake ki luga e gagao suka (type 2) ke tatai atu mo e tau tagata kua tokoluga e tau mamafa,  ti kua kelea lahi e mena nai ki Aotearoa.  Iloa ki ai kua mafiti falu a gagao ke tupu ki mua e kelea ha ko e gagao suka, ka e nakai iloa tonu e fehagaiaga he tavili kai mo e gako he tau tino, gagao suka mo e tau gagao ke he atefua. 

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.

Fakatatai atu ke he falu a puke tagata, kitia ki ai ke he tau tagata Māori moe Pasifika ne moua he gagao suka (type 2), kua tokolalo e fua tegavai po ke nakai fai kua foaki atu ke lata mo e ha lautolu a tau tatalu. Kua amaamanaki e tau kumikumiaga ha mautolu ke fakahako e tau kehekeheaga nai mo e iloa mai e tau faga tului kehekehe ma e tau tagata oti.

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.

Ko e heigoa ha Maurice Wilkins Centre ka taute ke totoko atu ke he tau gagao tupu mai ha ko e taviliaga he tau kai? (What does the Maurice Wilkins Centre do to combat metabolic diseases?)

Kua kitia he tau pulotu kumikumi mai he Maurice Wilkins Centre e falu a vahega puke tagata tuga e tau Māori mo e Pasifika kua lauia ai ke he tau gagao pehē nai mo e kua lata ia lautolu ke kau fakalataha mo e fakatū ki mua ke he tau kumikumiaga pehē nai.  Ka fakamaopoopo mai e tau pulotu kumikumi Māori mo e Pasifika ke he taha e potaaga, to maeke ia lautolu ke fakalaulahi ha lautolu a tau kumikumi mo e gahua fakalataha ai mo e tau maaga kehekehe. Kehe tau puhala kua fitā he fakagahuahua, ko e tau kumikumiaga he matakau Maurice Wilkins Centre ke he gagao suka to fakaaoga e lautolu ke fakalaulahi ha lautolu a tau lotomatala ke moua falu a puhala foou, tau tului ke he gagao suka kua fetataiaki mo e falu a vahega tagata foki, falu a tau lekua lafi ki luga  mo e falu a gagao foki tuga e gagao gugu.

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 programme 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.